USDA Agriculture Marketing Service Provides Update on Cotton Classing Issues

Nov 29, 2021

USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Deputy Administrator Darryl W. Earnest has provided an update to cotton industry stakeholders Nov. 23 to discuss issues the agency has encountered delivering cotton classification results to producers on the 2021-crop.

Earnest notes that while the Agency’s Cotton Division strives to process and return classing results within 72 hours, the 2021-crop has presented them with a number of challenges that have prevented it from consistently meeting the 72-hour target. Among the issues impacting the delivery of cotton classification services this year are attracting labor and the timely delivery of parts and materials needed to service equipment.

Earnest said acquiring and retaining adequate seasonal employees at all ten of the agency’s locations has been a challenge and has hampered their ability to consistently operate on a multi-shift basis. He notes that the agency is implementing a number of incentives to attract new employees including pay increases, shift flexibility and other incentives to overcome current shortfalls and improve office operations.

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.