Georgia Cotton Commission Annual Meeting: Speakers, Topics, And What Growers Need To Know

We preview the Georgia Cotton Commission annual meeting in Tifton with clear updates on pests, policy, markets, and risk. Speakers from UGA, USDA, and the National Cotton Council share what growers need to do now and how to prepare for 2026.

• date, location, registration link and logistics for the annual meeting
• main program speakers and why their topics matter
• cotton jassid status and management priorities
• FSA timelines for safety nets, bridge assistance and marketing loan changes
• Plant Not Plastic goals and how growers can amplify demand
• luncheon awards and educator insights on school–farm partnerships
• new breakout on budgets, crop insurance, futures and options
• county meeting schedule and how to reach the team

We look forward to seeing everyone at the Georgia Cotton Commission Annual Meeting - please register at the link below:

https://uga.ungerboeck.com/prod/emc00/register.aspx?aat=6e6e42387452526344624c7277642f614e5848726b4130327a52504f4d4748332f4a6a365177674e335a633d

Transcript

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Cold Open And Hoops Banter

SPEAKER_01 0:08

Bringing you all things cotton production and pest management. This is the Talking Cotton Podcast with the University of Georgia cotton team. Let's get into the whys of putting on, throwing off, and cutting out. All right, so this is a special episode today of the Talking Cotton Podcast. Maybe I don't know, fifth-time caller? Something like that? I'm not calling. You're here in person. Live. Taylor Sills, executive director of the Georgia Cotton Commission, is here today with me to talk about the Auburn, Georgia basketball game. It happened. And some of my students said they were gonna go, and they didn't, and they missed a good basketball game. Auburn should have lost by like 20. Oh, I didn't. I listened on the radio. I was driving home from Christmas and I listened on the radio, and uh, man, it was crazy. It was absolutely crazy. I was keeping up with the score on on the internet. I was also keeping up with the score on the internet, but I was listening on the radio and 0.7 seconds left, missed a free throw, tipped it back in, tied game, went to overtime, and then Georgia won. So good, good basketball game. Good basketball game.

Annual Meeting Announced And Venue Details

SPEAKER_01 1:35

So, Taylor, we're not here to talk about Auburn Georgia basketball game. Oh. We're here to talk about the sugar bowl. Just kidding. Equally bad. Just kidding. We are here to talk about the Georgia Cotton Commission annual meeting. January 28th. Last Wednesday in January. Every year. Every year. And uh, hey, Tifton Campus Conference Center.

SPEAKER_00 1:58

That's right. Very, very, very uh easy to work with hosts there. Shout out, Miss Karen. Shout out.

SPEAKER_01 2:04

They're great. Love them. Um, it's gonna be over there. Thank you to the sponsors.

SPEAKER_00 2:12

All right, got a great group of sponsors, got some new sponsors this year. New sponsors, got some folks who have you know moved into Georgia to work in the expand their business into the cotton business who are helping us out. Yep. Uh got you've got a got a great and dedicated group of sponsors.

SPEAKER_01 2:26

Yes, they are great. It is true. So um, real quick, Taylor, uh let's talk about the

Sponsors And Industry Support

SPEAKER_01 2:35

meeting.

SPEAKER_00 2:35

What's what's on the agenda? So, do you want to talk about the changes on the UGA side of it or the main program first? Either way. So on the main industry program, as I call it, um, we've got uh three program speakers like normal. You'll hear you're here from our chairman, Bart Davis, who is the

Main Program Overview And Speakers

SPEAKER_00 2:55

cotton producer from Colkwood County. Um I'll do a commission update. Uh, but what's interesting, you know, it's a little it's an abbreviated version of my county meeting talk because you know what we try to do at the county meetings is do a whole industry update. Yeah. Well, with our industry speakers It is the industry update. So I don't have to they're they're going in more detail about some of these things. But our three um speakers on the main program are gonna be Dr. Philip Roberts, who I think you've met. Shout out. Uh Mary Catherine Cromley, who is the chief of staff at uh USDA's Farm Service Agency. Yep. And then Marjorie Walker, who is the uh vice president of operations for the National Cotton Council. Yep.

Cotton Jassid Update With Dr. Roberts

SPEAKER_00 3:38

So yeah, we'll talk, I guess we'll talk a little bit about each of these. Uh Dr. Philip Roberts. What's he gonna talk about? He is an extension entomologist based on the Tifton campus. He is UGS. It's true. Uh and he works on cotton. He does work and occasionally occasionally. Um uh he's gonna talk about cotton jazz. Really? Yeah. Shocking. Uh, you know, that's obviously been a a major effort of all of us since the summer. I would agree. Oh yeah. Um since July 9th, as they say. He is gonna do an update on what you know what we know as of that day. Right. And what growers need to know going into the 2026 season. Obviously, this is an evolving situation. Yep. Um fluid. Um, but we it's important enough where everybody needs to hear it. So we we decided to to move him from one of the breakout sessions and put him on the main stage. Yeah. Um, obviously, uh, I would assume that you're gonna do a there's a already he's done an article for our newsletter. You can go to our website and see that. He's been on the Cotton Specialist Corner podcast.

SPEAKER_01 4:48

I see Dead Plants podcast, um webinars on the cotton jasmine. There are numerous, numerous places to get information on cotton jassen. And but this is another one. This is another one. We can use as much information as we can get.

SPEAKER_00 5:09

And I mean, this is we'll have a few more weeks of uh loop lead time. Yeah. Uh dude have a little bit more information. Yeah. Um, yeah. So that uh obviously there's a there's a lot of uh stuff out there and on what he's discussing. Uh Mary Catherine Cromley uh isn't not a stranger to Georgia, she's an alumnus of UGA. Um she has been in and out of Washington since she uh went to the DC as an intern years ago. She um right now, like I said, works for for USDA FSA um and is gonna give us an update on implementation of those producer-focused, uh producer safety net focused provisions of the Big Beautiful Bill, which have been discussed. But if putting these things into action is not as simple as as we want it to be sometimes, she's gonna come and talk about that process, where they

USDA FSA Policy Implementation Update

SPEAKER_00 6:05

are on that process. You know, if they get this rule changed on this day, what are the unintended consequences and how are they gonna rectify that? Yeah, we also had this this recent announcement of this farmer bridge assistance. Hey. Um cotton came out pretty good. Well, cotton's situation is is pretty dire. Yeah. So that I think those things are related. Um uh a lot of uh behind the scenes industry effort went to working with the people at the White House in that, working with the people at USDA into that, um, to to get to make sure those numbers were were what reflective of the situation. That's right. Um we um she's gonna come talk about the process of implementing all of these things uh and and when growers can expect them, what they how what will that look like when they go into the FSA office to do things like when they go to you know assign these new base acres that are being issued, these modifications to the marketing loan, um, the FBA assistants, like I mentioned, she's gonna come talk about all those things which are so crucial to producer viability long term. Oh, yeah. Um uh here in Georgia. Um it it's also worth noting noting that you know Mary, she's a farm girl from East Georgia. I mean, her uh her her family farms there uh in Bullock County, um, and she knows the the challenges that that producers are dealing with firsthand. Um in fact she's she's in Georgia right now. Um so she's gonna come talk about that. We also have, like I said, Marjorie Walker, who's the VP of operations for the National Cotton Council, is gonna be with us. One thing that came out at the end of maybe in the fall was the Plant Not Plastic campaign. Yeah. A lot of people have seen it. Um it's being headed up by the National Cotton Council. It's just but you know, the the long-term goal is for it not just

Plant Not Plastic Campaign Explained

SPEAKER_00 8:00

to be um uh a council initiative, but to be a much larger uh platform than just that. And she's gonna talk about that plant not plastic campaign. I'm very impressed with with what they've got. Yeah, it's very nice. Uh where the and you know, that as they continue to roll this ball and it get a little bigger. We want producers to know about it, a because of how important it is, how they can get involved. Yeah. You know, a lot of the most successful outreach when you have things like this is organic. Grassroots, as they say. That's right. So we want our people to know about it, a because they're invested in it. Oh, 100%. They're invested in the commission, they're invested in National Cotton Council, how and how, but also how can they grow the message themselves?

SPEAKER_01 8:46

Oh man, I was at uh I was at Christmas and uh somebody asked how work was, and I was like, nah, it's fine. And they they were like, well, what's going on? And I started talking about all this stuff, the situation, right? And then they were like, Well, why is it so bad? And I was like, Well, I said a lot of it's because of because of demand and synthetics and stuff like that. And and he said, Oh, and and he said, Well, he said, What what do you mean? I said, I said, no offense to you. And I was like, but you're decked out in poly. And I was like, that's I said, We need people to wear cotton. And I was like, and a lot of people don't pay attention to that kind of stuff. And I said, surely you've read about microplastics. And he was like, Yeah, I know about microplastics. I said, Great, you're covered in them. And I was like, that's I said, you need to check the tag. And he was like, Well, hey, since you brought it up, I'll start checking. So, hey, you know, that's the kind of stuff that we're talking about. Similar success story.

SPEAKER_00 9:45

Uh wait a minute. We were at the Georgia game sister-in-law? No, no, no, no, no. We were at the Georgia-Alabama game. Uh in Atlanta? No. Okay. No, no. Uh in Athens. The less the less fun one. Yeah, yeah. Uh we were there and uh we were tailgating with my brother-in-law and some of his friends and their and their wives and and uh a bunch of friends that they went to grew up with. One of the guys' wives, she doesn't know what I do for a living. Yeah. She was saying, you know, guys, we've got to stop wearing polyasts. It's plastic. And I what I perked around. Didn't say anything for once. Yeah.

Community Stories And Cotton vs Synthetics

SPEAKER_00 10:25

Wow. Shocking. Well, it was it was what I already wanted to say, right? Um, but you know, this whole initiative is designed to capture that person. You know, there there is a lot of interest in the long-term concerns, microplastics in the in the ether right now, right? In the atmosphere. Um and you know, it's we as an industry we need to capitalize on this. Oh, 100%.

SPEAKER_01 10:51

Um, so and it's getting it's getting a lot of press. It is. Um the Make America Healthy document that mentions all this microplastic. Very prominently. So I mean, this is a big deal and a big opportunity for for the industry to make a big push.

SPEAKER_00 11:10

And so I if she's gonna come talk about that, I'm sure she'll talk about a few other things. Um, so we're we're really excited about that program. Um at the luncheon, we will give out our trustees award again. Yeah. Uh got some very special people that we're gonna be honoring with that award. But also, we're gonna have Rachel Kinsall, who is uh uh ag ed teacher at Morgan County High School and is the advisor for the Morgan County FFA chapter. Um she's gonna come talk. She's our 2025-2026 Georgia Teacher of the Year. Um it's it's kind of cool that someone who's uh an ag teacher in a cotton producing area has gotten that uh that designation. She's coming to talk during lunch. She's gonna come talk during the lunch about how you know how producers can benefit from interacting with their local schools and how the local schools can benefit from interacting with producers and how how linked together we all are. That's something we I feel like we've talked a lot about over the years in our various discussions, both privately and in county meetings and stuff, is how how linked together our communities are with our with our producers' operations, with extension, all these things. With the ag industry. That's right. Yeah, and and she's gonna come talk a little bit about some of that. Uh we're ex I've actually known Rachel uh probably for close to 20 years now. She grew up in the next county over for me, and and you know, it's it's been uh fun to watch her grow into this this position that she's in now and be recognized with this. Uh, you know, her

Luncheon Awards And Teacher Address

SPEAKER_00 12:40

husband works in the ag business too. And so we're excited to have them come as well. One thing that's a little different with the program this year is we have a new uh breakout session. Yeah, I'm excited about this. We're you know, it's we've gotten a lot of things.

SPEAKER_01 12:54

Yeah, it's something that a lot of conversations have been had about this particular thing in terms of how big of a need something like this is. But you probably know more about it, Taylor, than I do.

SPEAKER_00 13:10

Well, when we decided uh that Dr. Roberts uh was going to be in the main program that left us a vacant slot. I had talked to uh Serena uh Lou, uh the extension economist, about expanding her program to include she and Amanda do great work for those enterprise budgets. That's information that people need to see. We get a lot of questions that are related on the economics front about farm programs and about risk management, risk management, crop insurance, futures options, all these things. And so she is uh recruited in Dr. Berna Caraley, who is uh a faculty member in the Ag Econ department in Athens, uh, who actually took a uh an Ag Business Finance class from her many moons ago. How'd you do? Not great. I'll be full disclosure, not well. Um, and then John Robinson, who's an extension faculty at uh with Texas AM AgriLife, yeah. I believe they're in college station, yeah, who's gonna come, they're gonna come

New Breakout: Economics And Risk Management

SPEAKER_00 14:10

talk about some of these topics and how producers can mitigate that risk through any number of different ways. Uh you know, futures and options, crop insurance, differ different things, yeah, just to have people's minds more focused on it going into 2026 than we probably have been in the past. Yeah uh very appreciative to those people and to Serena for coordinating all of that and excited for uh you know what what becomes of it. Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 14:42

And like I said, I mean this this has come from county agents, from growers, there's there's been conversations with UGA administration that there's such a need for this, and so I'm excited to see that in action because I don't know much about it. That's right. Be honest with you. I mean, it's complicated. And uh even for somebody who's a good idea.

SPEAKER_00 15:06

It looks a little different. I mean, it it's it really is up to that producer how how they want to handle things, how how risk averse they are, and how you know, but at the same time to to mitigate more risk, you may have to front more capital, and that's something that people need to know before they get into it. They I'd I'd heap rather them know it on the front end than the back end.

SPEAKER_01 15:27

I guess.

SPEAKER_00 15:28

And uh, and so you know, people need to know what type of opportunities there are out there, um, and and they need to learn it from someone who's not pushing it on them. Yeah, that's right. And so we're we're I'm really excited and and happy that we're we're able to do this in 26. We we've got challenges. Um we've been saying this for a while now. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:51

And but I you know, I was thinking about this earlier, Taylor, where since the end of 24 I've been concerned about 26, not necessarily 25. 25 was always gonna be a year that we just had to get through, right? But then we just get through 25 and we're in the same boat as we were, basically. But the the promising thing is is that there's more in place in 26 that that can help us keep going.

SPEAKER_00 16:27

That's right. Right. And so And frankly, Camp, I I see some light at the end of the tunnel. I don't know. That's good. It's it's easy.

SPEAKER_01 16:34

You're such a negative person that it's easy. If you see light at the end of the tunnel, that means we're gonna be okay.

SPEAKER_00 16:39

I'm not I'm not the most optimistic person in the world. I think everyone that knows me would would agree with that. Um but we're you know, I and I don't know if I get you know we're all bad about getting into our own echo chamber. You're right. But I can I I I see some positive headway. The question is, how long is it gonna take? Is it gonna take? Obviously, this BBB stuff is gonna the the the producer safety net will be fully in place for those producers for the 2026 crop, uh, which will allow maybe some room to breathe. Yeah. Uh plus the bridge assistance. That's right. That's right. So is which

Market Outlook And Producer Safety Nets

SPEAKER_00 17:15

will much needed liquidity. Oh, 100%. But we're as we move forward, yeah. I talk a lot about demand. And we've gotten these investments from the taxpayers. Yeah. To justify that, we need the demand. Yeah. And I see some things in the works uh from a global trade perspective, from a more you know, where these c where these companies are doing business, how these things are shifting around, how how the geopolitics play into some of that. I see some some groundwork laying for for positive returns for our industry. The question is how long will it take? Yeah. And maybe, and you know, we we've got a we've got a couple weeks to figure some of that out before we get together in Tifton. And you know, I'm I'm I'm excited about the meeting. Obviously, we'll uh you know, people have opportunities for pesticide credits. Yeah, sure. There'll be meals, door prizes. There is lunch. Chicken, pork chops. Please register. Please register. There's a link. There's a link. It will be on the website. It will be on the website. Um Georgia Codes. It has been sent on my org. It has been it has been sent out in the newsletter to about 2,800 of our closest friends. Um and we'll be sent to 2800 registrants. There are not 2,800 people registered for the meeting. But there will be. Potentially. It's possible. The meal is gonna get I I would that if we if we had 2,800 people and and uh We'd run out. Uh pr early, very early. Miss BJ would not be happy with me. That's fine. The lady who's the caterer does a great job. Love her. She could probably do 2800.

SPEAKER_01 18:57

She could if she knew 2800 were coming. There's only one thing to find out. Register. That's the only way we know. Register. So anything else you want to talk about?

SPEAKER_00 19:08

Excited for county meetings to start up? Yeah. Uh hey. Audrey's gonna be with us this time. Audrey's gonna be doing some meetings. I'm gonna be doing some meetings. Yep. We've got a lot of a lot of

Credits, Registration, And Logistics

SPEAKER_00 19:20

uh a lot going on uh to tell people about.

SPEAKER_01 19:23

That's right. So we uh I'm gonna post the county meeting schedule on the website. Um, and then we've got the uh county meeting update episodes coming up. Yep. So we're a lot of information, a lot of information, a lot of good things going on, and uh a lot of stuff we got to talk about going into 2026 uh so that we can try to get everybody in a position to be successful and keep doing what we're doing. That's right. So as always, Taylor, thank you very much. Hey, thank you, Camp. Yep, and if you have any questions, most people know how to get in touch with Taylor. Call him, text him, email him, call your county agent. Call your county agent. That was my next thing. You can get in touch with Taylor or you can call your county agent. And they can get in touch with Taylor. They can get in touch with Taylor. Get in touch with me. I can get in touch with Taylor. We talk all the time. Call the office. Call camp. Call me. Call Philip. Call Phillip. Call your county agent. All right. But we look forward to seeing everybody at the Georgia Cotton Commission annual meeting on January 28th at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center. Have a biscuit with me. Come have a biscuit and some coffee. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for listening to this episode of Talkin' Cotton with the UGA Cotton Team. If you have any

County Meetings And Next Steps

SPEAKER_01 20:45

questions about anything we talked about today, or if there's anything you'd like for us to talk about in the future, please contact your local UGA County Extension Agent. And as always, you can find us on all major podcast platforms. Be sure to like, share with your friends, and subscribe so you can stay up to date.