Washington, D.C. (Feb. 16, 2024) – Lee Cromley, a Brooklet, Ga., producer, will serve as Cotton Council International’s (CCI) president for 2024. CCI is the National Cotton Council’s (NCC) export promotion arm and carries out programs in 50 plus countries under the COTTON USA™ trademark. Cromley and other CCI officers were elected at CCI’s board meeting held as part of …

As the saying goes: a picture is worth a thousand words.  We present to you Figure 1. Figure 1: Farm Safety Net and SNAP Spending, 1962 to 2026F Source:  OMB Table 11.3 – Outlays for Payments for Individuals by Category and Major Program: 1940 – 2028 and Table 3.2 – Outlays by Function and Subfunction: 1962 – 2028. Note:  spending for budget subfunction …

In light of the February 6, 2024, ruling by the U.S. District Court of Arizona vacating the 2020 registrations for over-the-top (OTT) dicamba products, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing the following update. On February 14, 2024, EPA issued an Existing Stocks Order for Dicamba Products Previously Registered for Over-the-Top Use on Dicamba-Tolerant Cotton and Soybean. This Order …

On February 6th, the United States District Court for the District of Arizona vacated the registration of dicamba for over-the-top (OTT) use on dicamba-resistant cotton and soybeans.  In the ruling, the court found that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) failed to meet regulatory requirements related to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).  While at present, the extent of …

The first step to forecasting new crop supply and demand involves focusing on planted acreage. Economists emphasize the influence of price, i.e., that of cotton as well as the prices of competing spring-planted crops.  For example, the average new crop corn:cotton price ratio in the first quarter of the year (currently 6.1)  suggests between 10.5 and 11.0 million acres of …

The Georgia Cotton Commission’s Trustees’ Awards were presented at the 2024 Georgia Cotton Commission Annual Meeting January 31 in Tifton. The Trustees’ Awards are awarded to individuals who have dedicated themselves to the advancement of the cotton industry in Georgia. Producers, research and extension specialists and other cotton industry associates of high character and integrity who have given exceptional service …

In a January 17th Dear Colleague letter, Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, outlined her proposal for strengthening the farm safety net in the 2024 Farm Bill (found here). The proposal centered around five key principles: programs must be targeted to active farmers; we need to provide farmers choices and flexibility; assistance should be timely; …

On November 16, 2023, President Biden signed H.R. 6363 – the Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act of 2024 – into law. The bill extended the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill), reauthorizing programs like the Agriculture Risk (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs through September 30, 2024. Producers will have an opportunity to make a one-time election …

Navigating crop insurance for upland cotton can be complex, with various options and critical timelines. Our previous Southern Ag Today article discusses crop insurance policies available for upland cotton (Chong, Liu, and Biram, 2023). This article highlights essential dates for upland cotton producers to track to ensure effective management and protection of their investments. Securing federal crop insurance coverage relies on adhering …

In remarks during a March 16, 2023, hearing before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Secretary Vilsack testified that while “our policies have ensured an increasingly abundant food supply, growth in farm size and consolidation has put extreme economic pressure on small and medium sized farms and our rural communities…. We must ask ourselves: do we want a …

The National Cotton Council is surveying growers for their 2024 planting intentions. This is done each year to aid with industry planning and policy deliberations. Individual survey responses are anonymous and confidential. Your help and cooperation is greatly appreciated. In an effort to improve our Annual Cotton Planting Intentions Survey, we would like to give you the opportunity to fill out …

The risk in crop production, encompassing yield fluctuations and market price volatility, presents uncertain conditions for agricultural producers. To address and alleviate these uncertainties, the use of crop insurance is a key risk management strategy. The different crop insurance policies available for cotton producers frequently results in uncertainty concerning the variety of policies accessible and the specific regions where these …