Tag Archives: agricultural policy

Georgia Cotton Growers Face Tough Times: Low Prices, High Costs & Hope for 2025

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Tifton, GA |

Recently in Tifton, cotton growers here in Georgia gathered for their annual meeting for a time of fellowship and education, which of course couldn’t come at a better time as growers saw one of the toughest years they’ve ever seen in 2024.

“This is really an opportunity for the industry as a whole, beyond the producer level, even to come together to really, come together and fellowship or, as it turns out, in 2025, maybe commiserate, with this really bad confluence of situations that we have here. Economic, weather, policy, all that have kind of come together and really detrimental to our cotton industry here in Georgia. But also to learn about solutions, how we’re going to improve the situation, what the industry is doing to to move us forward, how we’re going to meet our consumers, how our mills and manufacturer customers, and how we’re going to meet them where they are to move, to move cotton production forward in Georgia in 2025 and beyond,” says Taylor Sills, Executive Director of the Georgia Cotton Commission.

Most of the situation can be attributed to low commodity prices that aren’t covering the costs of their inputs, and unfortunately, according to Extension cotton agronomist, Camp Hand, the situation for 2025 isn’t looking much better.

“It’s the price of cotton and the cost of the inputs. I’d say it cost ninety cents per pound of  cotton to grow the crop, but then you are selling it for right now, today, a December 2025 contract is going for sixty-eight, sixty-nine cents. So you’re twenty cent below the cost of production. That’s serious, and so it’s tough. We’ve been put in some tough situations because the international market is just a different place than it was a few years ago,” says Camp Hand, Extension Cotton Agronomist.

However, according to Hand, even though growers are in a tough spot, the only thing that would make it worse is to not try to grow a good crop, which is why he and other extension experts are there to give growers the tools they need to do so.

“At the end of the day, these growers in Georgia, whether they want to be or not or are married to it. What we want guys to know is that if you put a crop in the ground, you gotta make it, and so we’re trying to give them the tools that they need to make the most out of a bad situation,” says Hand.

Despite the tough economic situation, there is some good news for growers heading into the 2025 season, as extension plant pathologist, Bob Kemerait says that disease pressure growers saw in 2024 shouldn’t be a problem this season, thanks to good, actual winter weather the state has seen.

“Going into 2025, I’m really excited. This cold weather, this snow we’ve had, freezing temperatures; I call it a reset button because what happens with the freezing temperatures is we kill off some of our volunteer cotton, which can bring forward, be a bridge. Also, those cold soil temperatures are going to start to send those nematodes to bed for a while; slow them down, maybe kill some of them, but certainly break their life cycle. So what we’ve had with this cold weather is we are now completely in 2025 season and not bringing 2024 along with us,” says Bob Kemerait, Extension Plant Pathologist.

By: John Holcomb

Farm Bureau Urges Swift Action on 2025 Farm Bill and Tax Policy

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Washington, D.C. |

In testimony before Congress, Farm Bureau President, Zippy Duvall pressed for urgent action on a modernized five-year farm bill, tax policy, and agricultural workforce challenges. Chairman Boozman and Ranking Member Klobuchar were thanked for their commitment to farmers, but the message was clear: delays in policy updates are threatening American agriculture.

Farm Bill Priorities
Duvall emphasized the need for increased funding, unified nutrition and farm programs, and strengthened risk management tools. “Farmers are facing mounting losses,” he testified. “With net farm income down $41 billion since 2022 and crop prices plummeting, the need for a stronger safety net has never been greater.” Rising input costs and economic uncertainty highlight the need for enhanced Title I safety net provisions.

Tax and Workforce Challenges
The looming expiration of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provisions could impose the largest tax hike in U.S. history on farm businesses. “Failing to extend these tax provisions will take billions out of farmers’ pockets at a time when they have no dollars to spare,” the testimony warned. Additionally, the lack of a sustainable agricultural workforce solution remains a major concern, forcing many farms to shut down. “The costs are too high, and the labor force is too small,” says Duvall. “If we don’t act now, we risk losing family farms at an unprecedented rate.”

Trade and Crop Protection
Farmers struggle with supply chain disruptions, high production costs, and regulatory uncertainty over crop protection tools. “Ongoing inflation, supply issues, and inconsistent regulations are creating a perfect storm for farmers and ranchers,” Duvall explained. Meanwhile, U.S. agriculture saw a $32 billion trade deficit in 2024, contrasting with past trade surpluses. “Our ability to compete globally is being hindered by trade barriers and lack of market access.” Expanded market access and reduced trade barriers are needed to restore competitiveness.

Call to Action
Duvall urged Congress to act swiftly on these issues, emphasizing the urgency of protecting farmers’ livelihoods and sustaining rural communities. “American agriculture is at a crossroads,” Duvall concluded. “Without decisive action, our food security, economy, and rural way of life are at risk.”

You can watch the hearing, here.

Georgia Farmers Gain Access to Vital Water Source After 13-Year Ban

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Tifton, GA |

Despite the countless hours that go into preparing the land, choosing the right variety and protecting against pests and diseases, no crop can be successful without the proper amount of water. And for more than a decade the largest underground source in the region has been unavailable to farmers here in Georgia. However, thanks to a new ruling from the EPD, those restrictions have been lifted.

“EPD will begin accepting applications for new withdrawals from the Floridan aquifer in southwest Georgia beginning in April of 2025. That’s certainly welcomed news as that area’s been under a moratorium now for, thirteen years. The news is, as I say, certainly welcomed for growers in that area. The Floridan aquifer is a fantastic resource for farmers in that area. It supports hundreds of thousands of acres of irrigation,” says Mark Masters, Director for the Georgia Water Planning and Policy Center.

With a number of counties in that part of the state experiencing abnormally dry conditions in 2024, having the aquifer as a possible option for irrigation is exciting news.

“The Floridan is a resource in terms of groundwater that is more readily accessible for most of the growers in Southwest Georgia in terms of the cost of tapping that resource unlike some of the deeper aquifers. And so, for farmers that may be looking to expand their irrigated acreage in some way, this is an important development,” says Masters.

Despite the ruling that allows for these new drilling permits, there will still be some restrictions on water usage in order to maintain the ecosystem.

“This is not opening up to just unlimited acreage forever. These new permits will have some drought restrictions on them because as we now know, there is that tight connection and we want to make sure that we are maintaining adequate stream flows in some of those critical areas. And so, these new permits will have some drought restrictions in place, but again, in most years, this is going to be a really good resource for our farmers,” says Masters.

Being good stewards of the land, which includes maximizing water efficiency, is a cornerstone within the farming community and one of the major factors that went into this new ruling.

“One of the main reasons we’re able to make this announcement and that we got this good news from the governor’s office is that over this same period of time, we’ve been able to demonstrate that our farmers are really good stewards of the resource. And so, we understand that their use is highly efficient and that they’re taking care of our shared water resources. That’s gone a long way to helping us get to this place where we’re now able to begin expanding some of that use,” says Masters.

This is also a culmination of plenty of hard work behind the scenes, where researchers, administrators, and most importantly, farmers worked together in order to come up with a resolution.

“As much as Farm Bureau has been involved with getting that moratorium looked at and lifted for everything from frost protection to irrigation wells, it probably wouldn’t have moved as fast if it hadn’t had been for Farm Bureau. So, to all of the people down in that part of the state that are Farm Bureau members, thank you for helping us get the ball rolling,” says Tom McCall, Georgia Farm Bureau President.

By: Damon Jones