Nomination meetings for three positions on the Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Cotton are coming up.
May 28 at 10 am, Lee County Farm Bureau, Leesburg
May 28 at 3 pm, Bleckley County Farm Bureau, Cochran
May 29 at 3 pm, Morgan County Farm Bureau, Madison
All cotton producers in those areas are urged to participate in making nominations for the commission.
Report(:30 mp3)
Cotton planting is running behind normal nationwide according to USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service, but in the southeast, progress is right about on schedule
Report (1:00 mp3)
Richey Seaton with the Georgia Cotton Commission talks about the impending veto of the final 2007 Farm Bill and what cotton growers want.
Report(1:00 mp3)
USDA’s National Agriculture Statistics Service has released its final report for 2007 cotton production - overall down 11 percent from 2006, with the southeast down 36 percent.
Shiela Corley with USDA-NASS in Washington D.C. has all the final numbers.
Report (2:00 mp3)
Report (:30 mp3)
Payment limits is one of the issues still being debated by farm bill negotiators and the cotton industry has been working with Congress to stay within budget guidelines.
Report(1:00 mp3)
The volatility in the commodity markets that has caused a spike in cotton prices recently may mean an increase in cotton acreage according to Richey Seaton with the Georgia Cotton Commission.
Report(1:00 mp3)
Agricultural interests are concerned about the effect speculators in the commodity markets are having on prices. The commodity futures trading commission held a forum on the topic this week and Richey Seaton with the Georgia Cotton Commission says the cotton industry was represented.
Report(1:00 mp3)
The Unviersity of Florida’s West Florida Research and Education center near Jay has been conducting research the past few seasons with managing weed control in twin-row cotton. Extension Agronomist Barry Brecke explains why and what they found. Report (1:00 mp3)
Cotton planting has yet to begin in Georgia, according to the state ag statistics service, but that is normal for this time of year. Growers are looking to plant just a few more acres than last year, bucking the national trend of declines in cotton acreage. Meanwhile, corn acres are expected to increase almost 80 percent in the state and planting is going strong.
Report (1:00 mp3)
Leverage® 2.7SE insecticide from Bayer CropScience recently received EPA registration for soybeans and is also registered for cotton.
Report (:30 mp3)
The University of Georgia’s Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development recently conducted a study about the pending loss of a well-know cotton product. Tyron Spearman has the details. Report (:40 mp3)
The Georgia Cotton Commission met recently to look at allocating research dollars for the next year, according to executive director Richey Seaton.
Report(1:00 mp3)
Overall cotton acreage is projected to be down nationwide this year, but in Georgia acreage is expected to increase slightly according to Richey Seaton with the Georgia Cotton Commission.
Report(1:00 mp3)
USDA’s National Agriculture Statistics Service has released their planting intentions report for the 2008 crop, and according to Shiela Corley with their office in Washington D.C. cotton acres will be down this year.
Report (2:50 mp3)
Report (1:00 mp3)
To see the full report click Here
It’s almost time for Bayer season here in the Southeast.
Report (1:00 mp3)
The Georgia Cotton Commission was giving away cottonseed oil brownies at last week’s Ag Awareness Day in Atlanta.
Report(1:00 mp3)
The board of directors for Cotton Incorporated has a new chairman. He is Ted Sheely, a producer from California with a 9,000 acre diversified operation and more than 40 years of cotton industry. Sheely replaces outgoing chairman Louie Perry of Moultrie, Georgia who meanwhile will remain chairman of the Georgia Cotton Commission. The Cotton Board has also elected a new chairman to serve for the next two years. Arkansas producer Bob McGinnis replaces importer Nancy Marino.
Report (1:00 mp3)
The 5th annual Georgia Ag Awareness Day event took place today at the Georgia Freight Depot in downtown Atlanta. A cross section of folks attended the event including state legislators, FFA and 4-H youth, and of course a variety of commodity groups and others involved in agriculture across the state. Governor Sonny Perdue (pictured right) gave an opening speech hi-lighting the many benefits of agriculture to the state. 
You can hear part of the Governor’s speech. Report (4:20 mp3)
Pictured right are Julie McPeake and Jim Collins
with the Georgia Beef Board preparing delicous beef samples for those in attendance, while Karen Nikitopoulos (pictured left) with the Georgia Cotton Commission was on hand with brownies that were made with cottonseed oil to show how that commodity is both food and fiber which many people were not aware of.
The 2002 Farm Bill has been extended for another month as Congress tries to work out some deal that will get a new farm bill in place this year. The new deadline is April 18.
Report(1:00 mp3)
Agriculture groups, farmers and others are expressing concerns about the farm bill delay. Richey Seaton with the Georgia Cotton Commission says its frustrating for growers trying to make planting decisions.
Report(1:00 mp3)
A number of Georgia county cotton production meetings remain to be held over the next few weeks. The majority have already been held around the state, each featuring members of the UGA Cotton Team, such as extension entomologist Phillip Roberts who discusses pest concerns.
Click here to see a list of county meetings yet to be held.
Report (1:00 mp3)
With the lack of a farm bill and fluctuating commodity prices, some farmers are taking their time deciding what crops to plant this spring. A new product from DuPont called First Shot is helping farmers by allowing them to go ahead and get their burn down done before they make final planting decisions.
Report (1:00 mp3)
High fertilizer costs continue to be a concern for all farmers and at the recent Georgia Cotton Conference, UGA extension soil scientist Glen Harris told growers that they need to be careful in making decisions to cut back on fertilizer use.
Report (1:00 mp3)
This post sponsored by:
In these reports, comments from commodities trader Roger Corrado at I C E Futures U S in New York. He says it’s a historic but sad time as the open outcry system for trading futures contracts is silenced. In the third report posted below, some interesting reflections about how Corrado and others got a start in the business.
Report (2:00 mp3) Report (2:00 mp3) Report (2:00 mp3)
Being Counted Is Up To YOU!
We are a little bit more than halfway through the county cotton production meetings this year around Georgia. Extension economist Don Shurley with the UGA Cotton Team says even though there is no farm bill yet, he thinks growers are looking at other factors to determine their planting decisions.
Click here to see a list of county meetings yet to be held.
Report (1:00 mp3)
Nematodes are among the topics being discussed at county cotton production meetings in Georgia this year, according to Bob Kemerait with the UGA Cotton Team. Click here to see a list of meetings still to be held.
Report (1:00 mp3)
Meanwhile, Dow AgroSciences has gotten approval for TELONE® II soil fumigant to help Georgia cotton growers control nematodes at planting time. Read more here.
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This coming Thursday is the deadline to purchase crop insurance for the upcoming growing season, as Tyron Spearman has this reminder. Report (:30 mp3)
Tyron Spearman reminds growers that the deadline is nearing to purchase crop insurance for the upcoming growing season. Report (1:00 mp3)
Cotton Council International held its annual board of directors meeting last week in Memphis where directors were seated for this year and re-elected to the board was Jimmy Webb of Leary, Georgia.
Report (1:00 mp3)
Robert S. Weil, II, a Montgomery, AL, cotton merchant, was elected 2008 president of Cotton Council International (CCI), the National Cotton Council’s export promotions arm.
Weil is CEO of Weil Brothers-Cotton, Inc. He is a former NCC delegate and serves on the NCC’s Doha Strategy Task Force, International Trade Policy Committee and Farm Policy Development Task Force, among others. He also served as president of the American Cotton Shippers Association in 2003-04 and president of the Atlantic Cotton Association in 1992. He earned a B.S. degree at Dartmouth College and completed an advanced management program at Harvard Business School.
Report (1:00 mp3)
Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer also announced that partial peanut and cotton 2007 counter-cyclical payments will soon be sent out. Tyron Spearman has the details. Report (1:10 mp3)
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