Yangxuan Liu, Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Georgia Economic Slowdown Looking ahead, the year 2024 could be another challenging year for cotton producers. According to the International Monetary Fund World Economic Outlook report in October 2023, global recovery remains slow. Global economic growth is expected to slow from 3.5 percent in 2022 to 3.0 percent …

December 2023 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Speakers Announced: Georgia Cotton Commission Annual Meeting January 31, 2024 The Georgia Cotton Commission is pleased to announce the guest speakers at the Commission’s 2024 Annual Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, January 31, 2024, at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center. The annual meeting is held in conjunction with the UGA Cotton Production Workshop conducted by the UGA …

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is every political budget analyst’s favorite punching bag.  Truth be told, they have an impossible job.  At its core, CBO is responsible for forecasting spending by the Federal government.[1]  In some cases, this involves forecasting macroeconomic variables and the resulting Federal spending.  For example, CBO forecasts marketing year average prices for commodities covered by the farm bill and the …

County UGA Cooperative Extension Service agents are an important resource for Georgia cotton farmers.  Agents are known for delivering timely and accurate information, which is instrumental for the success of Georgia’s farmers.  They also perform community specific research, education and outreach programs designed to help farmers maximize yields and efficiency. The Georgia Cotton Commission sponsored the King Cotton Awards to …

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Signaling the appreciation of the farm bill extension, NCC Chairman Shawn Holladay, said, “The National Cotton Council is grateful to the leadership in the House and Senate for extending the 2018 Farm Bill for another year. This extension will give the U.S. cotton industry certainty in program support as we head toward next year’s planting season.” Holladay, …

Some of the most considerable negative impacts on agricultural production are from extreme weather events. Extreme weather events include prolonged drought, record-breaking floods, and extreme temperatures. Scientists predict that extreme weather events will occur more frequently and more intensely. Drought is particularly concerning because water is already a limited resource in many regions of the United States, and the cost …

As we approach the end of the U.S. government’s (USG) fiscal year, the probability of a government shutdown seems imminent. The USG has until tomorrow (September 30th) to reconcile differences in government spending before they ultimately shut down for an unknown period (Cassella, 2023). The issues arise in Congress where disagreements on government spending based on ideological lines have paralyzed …

As discussed in a May 25, 2023, SAT article “The Silly Season Has Begun… Must Be Farm Bill Time,” every farm bill cycle, we run across a report or research geared toward “informing” farm bill discussions that, while not technically wrong, boy does it leave out something kind of important…hence the term “Silly Season.”  This time the article was written by …

Written By: Kelvin Bobbie, Seth McAllister, Amanda R. Smith, and Yangxuan Liu.  Southern Ag Today 3(39.3). September 27, 2023. View Article in your Browser. Interest among producers in adopting cover crops to enhance soil fertility, mitigate erosion, and manage weeds has been growing. Legumes, which are cover crops capable of fixing nitrogen, are recognized for enhancing soil health. In the Southern …

As we roll into October, it is time to start thinking about defoliating and harvesting our cotton crop. There are a few things I have been talking about as I venture around the state talking about defoliation, and some of the high points are below: Make sure the defoliation “trigger” is pulled at the right time. There are many ways …

Wesley M. Porter, Associate Professor and Extension Ag Engineer University of Georgia It’s that time of year again, it comes on us before we know it every year, but hopefully not before we’re ready for it. To quote Camp Hand, “The smell of Folex is in the air”. It’s easy to recognize that smell if you have spent any time …

For spring planted crops like cotton, a key market influence in the fall season is the refinement of the national production forecast.  U.S. cotton production forecasts are published monthly by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).  For example, the current U.S. cotton production forecast is 13.13 million bales.[1]  The forecast is expressed in standard 480-pound bale equivalents (or statistical bales).  …