Atlanta, Ga – Today, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper is urging Georgia cotton producers to check their crop for the presence of the invasive Cotton Jassid, Amrasca biguttula, which was first detected in Seminole County in July 2025 and has been found to be spreading rapidly across Georgia’s cotton belt. The Cotton Jassid – which feeds on cotton leaves, disrupting photosynthesis and causing significant …

The National Cotton Council (NCC) in collaboration with the Georgia Cotton Commission (GCC), Southern Cotton Growers, and the Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association is conducting a series of information meetings across Georgia and the rest of the cotton belt to provide cotton producers, industry firms, and agri-businesses with crucial information regarding the 2025 Farm Bill provisions passed in the One Big …

By: Emily Cabrera Takeaways New pest threat: The cotton jassid, first detected in Seminole County in July 2025, has quickly spread across Georgia’s cotton belt, damaging leaves and reducing photosynthesis critical for boll development. Economic strain: With cotton growers already facing tight margins from low prices and lingering hurricane damage, potential yield losses and added insecticide costs could make the season even …

(Memphis, TN) — The Cotton Board is pleased to announce the hiring of Laura Ehret as Vice President of Program Information, effective August 25. In this role, Ehret will oversee the organization’s communications division, guiding efforts to keep cotton producers, importers, and industry partners informed and engaged with the Cotton Research and Promotion Program. “Laura brings a high level of …

A common question we’ve been fielding since passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill: “with all this money coming from the Federal government, why do farmers keep complaining?” It’s generally followed by: “you just can’t make some people happy.” There’s no question the Federal government has provided a robust level of assistance. For example, the American Relief Act in December 2024 provided $30.78 …

In late July, the Commodity Commission Ex-Officio Committee met to make appointments to the Georgia Cotton Commission Board of Directors.  GCC Vice Chairman Matt Coley, a cotton and peanut farmer from Vienna, and director Steven Meeks, a cotton, peanut, tobacco, and timber producer from Screven, were both reappointed to another three-year term on the Commission’s board of directors. Matt Coley …

PERRY/TIFTON, Ga. – The Georgia Cotton Commission, Georgia Peanut Commission and the University of Georgia Extension Cotton and Peanut Teams, will co-sponsor a joint research field day on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, in Tifton, Georgia. The field day will start at 8:00 a.m. at the University of Georgia Lang Farm located at 230 Rigdon Aultman Road, Tifton, Georgia. After a …

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The National Cotton Council (NCC) and the National Cotton Ginners Association (NCGA) welcome the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new guidance regarding Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) systems, as announced by Administrator Lee Zeldin. “We appreciate the EPA and the entire administration for addressing the issues of and providing support to small businesses and farmers,” said NCC Chairman …

Articles in this month’s issue include: 1. Cotton Jassid Update (Phillip Roberts) 2. Cotton Irrigation Considerations for August (Wesley Porter) 3. An East Georgia Perspective (Wade Parker) 4. Crop Status and Considerations Approaching the Finish Line (Camp Hand) Read the Full Newsletter Here

WASHINGTON, D.C., Aug. 1, 2025 — Fourteen textile mill executives from Vietnam—the top export market for U.S. cotton— toured the U.S. Cotton Belt during a weeklong COTTON USA™ Special Trade Mission and saw firsthand why U.S. cotton is “The Cotton the World Trusts.” The COTTON USA™ Special Trade Mission was designed to strengthen relationships between the Vietnamese textile sector and …

Last summer, we wrote about a novel new concept for adding base acres to farms that had been proposed in the House Ag Committee-passed version of the 2024 Farm Bill (Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024). While that farm bill never came to fruition, the concept ultimately was adopted in the One Big Beautiful Bill (H.R. 1) that was recently signed into law …

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The National Cotton Council of America (NCC) today stated support for the executive action announced by the Trump Administration to eliminate the de minimis exemption for all commercial shipments entering the United States, effective August 29th. This decisive move addresses a critical issue that has undermined fair trade and the competitiveness of American industries, including the cotton …