100% Cotton News
Winter 2021
Greetings,

Like most of you, we at the Georgia Cotton Commission are excited to see what 2021 holds in store for us. We are hopeful that 2021 will be an "abnormal" year - a year of both favorable markets and growing/harvesting conditions. We hope that you and yours had a Merry Christmas and that the new year will be safe and prosperous. As always, please forward this message to anyone you think would benefit from reading it and do not hesitate to contact us if we can ever be of service.

Georgia Cotton Commission
Cotton Incorporated's Barnes: Seed Coat Fragments - Another reason to hate 2020
Seed coat fragments (SCFs) have been a long-term issue for cotton and outbreaks of SCFs occur sporadically every 3 to 5 years in a region of the U.S. This year the region includes Alabama, Georgia and Florida with the biggest outbreak of SCFs calls in the last 20 years. And it is no coincidence that this is also one of the worst years for tropical storms. SCFs are formed when a part of the cottonseed wall is broken off and that broken wall is often attached to some fibers, making it particularly difficult for the gin and textile mills to remove as all their equipment is designed to keep fibers in the process.
NCC summary of Agriculture Provisions in the latest COVID Relief Legislation
Highlights Include:
  • Direct, per-acre relief payments to growers based on 2020 certified acres on commodities eligible for CFAP 2
  • Gives Secretary of Agriculture authority to extend the term of crop marketing loans
  • Extends and adds to PPP
  • Provides funding for USDA to complete 2018 and 2019 WHIP+ payments and the Quality Loss Program within WHIP+
Georgia Cotton Commission Welcomes Dicamba Announcement
On October 27th, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew R. Wheeler met with farmers and industry stakeholders at Cromley Farms, a sixth-generation family farm in Brooklet, to announce new five-year registrations for two dicamba products and an extended registration for an additional dicamba product. The Georgia Cotton Commission (GCC) is pleased with this announcement. The GCC would especially like to thank Administrator Wheeler and the EPA for the timeliness of the announcement, as growers will soon make purchasing decisions for the 2021 growing season.
GCC Virtual Annual Meeting, Jan. 27, 2021
The Georgia Cotton Commission has, under guidance, decided to move their Annual Meeting to a virtual format. The virtual meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 27, 2021. The usual UGA Cotton Production Workshops will be conducted virtually as well but spread out over the months of January and February. The meeting program will feature speakers from several industry organizations.
The program is still under development, but program speakers include:
·        Darryl Earnest, Deputy Administrator, USDA Agricultural Marketing Service – Cotton & Tobacco Program
·        Dr. Ed Barnes, Senior Director, Agricultural & Environmental Research, Cotton Incorporated.
·        Bart Davis, Chairman, Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation of Georgia
·        Alan Lowman, Executive Director, Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation of Georgia
·        Dr. Phillip Roberts, Extension Entomologist, University of Georgia
·        Matt Coley, Producer Director, U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
·        Tom McCall, President, Georgia Farm Bureau
Following the Annual Meeting speakers, the Georgia Quality Cotton Awards for the 2020 crop will be awarded. The meeting is not only for cotton growers, but anyone interested in the cotton industry.
Upcoming Events & Deadlines
On October, 10, the Georgia Cotton Commission officially launched its new website. View our website for more information about the Georgia Cotton Commission, events, updated news and resources.
Harris - The Two Most Important Results on Your Soil Test: pH and Potassium
Soil testing is the backbone or “cornerstone” of any good soil fertility program. If you want to produce high-yield and high-quality cotton you have to take a good soil sample, have it analyzed correctly and get reliable liming and fertilizer recommendations in return. But there can be a lot of information on a soil sample report. Not only that, but depending on which lab you use, you may get different results in terms of what they analyzed for and what is recommended. What is “CEC” and “base saturation” ? Why are the lime and potassium recommendations different between labs ? How much phosphorous or micronutrients do I really need? These are all good questions and if you’re not careful it’s easy to get bogged down and confused. 
Georgia Cotton Farmers Donate Socks to Homeless Shelters
On behalf of Georgia’s 3,500 cotton farming families, the Georgia Cotton Commission recently donated 12,000 pairs of socks to various homeless shelters across the state.
GCC Calendar at a Glance
October 2020
  • Held "Ag Trade Talks" virtual education program for school counselors with Georgia DOE, Georgia FFA, Georgia Cattleman's, Georgia Milk Producers, and Georgia Peanut Commission.
  • Met with Georgia Farm Bureau leadership
  • Attended EPA Dicamba Announcement
  • Attended UGA Extension Cotton Agronomist interviews
  • Presented at Miller County Ag Day
  • Toured USDA-AMS Macon Cotton Classing Office
  • Attended Georgia Farm Bureau/Ag In The Classroom virtual field day
November 2020
  • Attended calls with "Ag Trade Talks" counterparts
  • Attended virtual Georgia Association of County Agricultural Agents Annual Meeting & Professional Improvement Conference
  • Participated in USDA-NRCS State Technical Committee Calls
  • Met with UGA CAES Leadership and researchers
  • Attended GFB Mobile Ag Classroom unveiling
  • Screened & interviewed candidates for GCC Operations Coordinator position
  • Participated in calls with National Cotton Council of America staff and leadership
December 2020
  • Conducted board of directors meeting
  • Made sock donations to homeless resource centers across the state
  • Participated in calls with National Cotton Council of America staff and leadership
  • Participated in Cotton Incorporated virtual board meeting
Georgia Cotton Commission
Board of Directors
Bart Davis
Chairman
Colquitt County
Matt Coley
Vice-Chairman
Dooly County
Lee Cromley
Bulloch County
John Ruark
Morgan County
Steven Meeks
Wayne County
Chris Hopkins
Toombs County
Chad Mathis
Baker County
Ex Officios
Gary Black
Commissioner
Georgia Department of Agriculture
Tom McCall
President
Georgia Farm Bureau
Commissioner's Designee
Eddie Green
Dooly County
Commission Staff
Taylor Sills
Executive Director
Martha Harris
Office Manager
Caroline Snider
Education & Outreach Specialist
(478) 988-4235