The Cotton Companion

The Trump Administration released a policy statement last week that may have signaled looming movement for the Buying American Cotton Act.

Dr. O.A. Cleveland, Extension cotton economist with Mississippi State University, spent 50 years writing his weekly cotton marketing column for the benefit of America’s farmers. Eyeing retirement, last month he signed off on his last submission. O.A. joins the podcast to reminisce on an impactful career in America’s cotton industry.

Are we seeing a major policy shift when it comes to American cotton? ACSA President Buddy Allen drops in to discuss how federal policy pivots from only treating the symptoms to finally focusing on the cause.

On the heels of the USDA’s announcement of the Great American Cotton Plan, Robbie Minnich of the National Cotton Council drops in to discuss the new initiative.

Tripp Walker of Syngenta joins the pod to discuss best management practices against cotton’s public enemy number one – the tarnished plant bug.

Dr. John Robinson, Extension economist with Texas A&M University, accurately predicted this bullish market way back in January. He drops in to talk about how he knew a “weather market” was materializing this year – and what farmers can expect next.

Operation Epic Fury has had a major impact on cotton’s input costs. Marc Rosenbohm of Terrain Ag joins the Cotton Companion podcast to discuss how these shifting input costs have changed the 2026 outlook for cotton producers.

The Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the fertilizer market, looking for potential price collusion among suppliers. CropLife editor Eric Sfiligoj drops in to discuss what producers can expect as one of their priciest inputs goes under the government microscope.

Listen in to the proceedings from the 2026 Cotton Grower Cotton Achievement Award presentation, held on site at the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show.

U.S. Representative Greg Murphy (R-NC) introduced the Buying American Cotton Act to the House of Representatives in January. He joins to discuss how the sausage gets made on Capitol Hill.

Dr. Jody Campiche of the National Cotton Council stops by to shed some more light on the World Economic Update she delivered at last week’s NCC Annual Meeting.

Dr. Stanley Culpepper, Extension agronomist with the University of Georgia, discusses the EPA’s reapproval of dicamba products, and gives advice to producers for 2026.

Robbie Minnich, VP of Washington Operations for the National Cotton Council, drops in to shed light on a promising piece of cotton legislation. Legislators on Capitol Hill are lining up to back the bill, which aims to create demand for U.S. cotton.

Dr. Phillip Roberts drops in to share everything we’ve learned about the cotton jassid – a leafhopper pest that made it’s American debut in 2024. Chances are it’s coming to a field near you sooner rather than later!

Dr. Darren Hudson of Texas Tech drops by to discuss the factors that are truly putting downside pressure on the cotton market. Tariffs, he says, aren’t one! We’ll also recount the happenings from last week’s Beltwide Cotton Conferences!

NCC President and CEO Gary Adams drops in to discuss cotton’s big week in Washington D.C. The NCC’s Lauren Krogman then talks about the coming Beltwide Cotton Conferences.

Cotton Incorporated President and CEO William Kimbrell talks about the ways Cotton Incorporated is working hard to bring relief to U.S. cotton producers.

For months, the cotton market has been confined by a trading window that sees it lingering between .60 and .70 cents. Cotton Incorporated Senior Economist Jon Devine drops by the pod to discuss whether cotton has any opportunities to break out in the coming year.

It's our 200th podcast episode (and we may be more surprised about that than anyone else). Join us as we recall some of the highs, lows, and miscues of our 10-year podcast journey. And for good measure, we visit with cotton's busiest man, Jay Mahaffey, for stories and findings from his "Straight Shootin' with Jay Tour" this season.

The new Plant Not Plastic program is off and running to help improve awareness of microplastic pollution from man-made fibers. The NCC's Marjory Walker joins the podcast to explain the program details and how it benefits cotton and other natural fibers.

Following a third-party evaluation of the Cotton Research & Promotion Program, some new program structures and changes are now being put in place. Cotton Board President/CEO Bill Gillon joins the podcast to discuss why...and what's coming.

University of Tennessee Extension Entomologist Sebe Brown joins the podcast to review cotton production this year in the upper Mid-South and discuss the spread and management of cotton's newest pest - the cotton jassid.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act included a lot of good news for cotton - but, as usual, the devil's in the details. NCC President/CEO Gary Adams returns to the podcast to discuss the Council's new series of informational meetings and why it's important for growers to attend.   #CottonCompanion #CottonGrower #Cotton #CottonFarming #CottonHarvest #CottonMarket #RowCrop #AgPodcast #PrecisionAg #SoilHealth #Irrigation #WeedManagement #PestManagement #Ginning #AgTech

Final PGR treatments. Defoliation tips. Harvester readiness. Cover crop strategies. Soil health benefits. All are important considerations as cotton harvest approaches, and Bill Robertson covers them all in this episode of the Cotton Companion.

You're going to want to listen to this episode! Georgia Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper joins the podcast to discuss the newly proposed over-the-top dicamba label for cotton and soybean, its advantages and guardrails, timelines, and what you need to do make their voice heard at EPA. 

Chad Brewer of the Cotton Foundation joins the podcast to discuss some of the programs and priorities of various cotton research programs underway across the Cotton Belt this year. Plus, details on how to make your voice heard at EPA as they take another look at dicamba for cotton.  

National Cotton Council President/CEO Gary Adams recaps the wins for cotton in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, as well as another last-minute push to help get the legislation through and some opportunities ahead that should also benefit the industry.

Cotton Incorporated's Dr. Ed Barnes joins the podcast to provide a look at the progress, promise, and potential for new automation and technologies on cotton's horizon.

Has cotton demand been unintentionally damaged by the environmental movement? Textile and Apparel Strategist Bob Antoshak thinks so, and he joins the podcast to explain his reasoning.

Kody Bessent with Plains Cotton Growers joins the podcast with an update on cotton planting in West Texas, as well as the latest word on how some recent actions in Washington DC could impact cotton.

Cotton Council International's new Executive Director Liz Hershfield joins the podcast to discuss the programs and potential for marketing U.S. cotton around the world. Plus, Beck shares his experience with The Big Fib.

What do tariffs (and all the talk about tariffs) really mean for the U.S. cotton industry? Buddy Allen with the American Cotton Shippers Association joins the podcast to explain.

Dr. O.A. Cleveland drops in to discuss the recent USDA Planting Intentions report. His message: While the tariffs dominate the headlines, the market fundamentals remain bullish for cotton!

With planting underway or coming quickly, it's not too late to make financial moves for this year's crop. Andrea Herbst with Nutrien Financial joins the podcast to review possible options and offer tips.

Cotton Grower has been presenting its Cotton Achievement Award since 1970. Listen in as we present our 2024 award to Ted Schneider of Lake Providence, LA.

Cotton Grower was right in the middle of the recent Mid-South Farm & Gin Show in Memphis, and Jim and Beck take a few minutes to reflect on some of the key topics and discussions from the show.

We recap some of the news and events from the National Cotton Council's recent annual meeting. Patrick Johnson, 2025 NCC Chairman, joins us to discuss cotton's agenda and the key challenges ahead for this year.

Georgia Extension Cotton Specialist Camp Hand joins the podcast to review some initial findings from their deer damage studies - including (surprisingly!) higher economic losses from deer than from pigweed, nematodes, and stinkbugs.   

Direct from the Beltwide Cotton Conferences, Jarral Neeper of TruCott Inc. in Bakersfield, CA, joins the podcast to discuss his latest U.S. and global outlook for cotton in 2025, plus how natural disasters and the politics of water are impacting California agriculture. 

To kick off 2025, Dr. Darren Hudson of Texas Tech joins in on a discussion of how cotton fared following Washington DC's pre-holiday budget scramble, plus a look at the first cotton acreage projection of the year courtesy of Cotton Grower's annual acreage survey. 

2024 didn't just impact growers. Ag retailers felt the heat, too. Our colleagues from CropLife magazine - Eric Sfiligoj and Lara Sowinski - join the podcast to discuss how retailers are managing their way through ag's current economics and how the grower/retailer partnership is more important than ever.

Multiple factors and issues continued to impact cotton production and prices in 2024. Hank Reichle with Staplcotn joins the podcast to discuss some of the challenges and headwinds that may define cotton in 2025.

Ready or not, the annual Beltwide Cotton Conferences are coming to New Orleans in mid-January. Lauren Krogman with the NCC joins the podcast to preview some of the plans and updates for the 2025 meeting.

Jessica Kelton with the Soil Health Institute and Dr. Drew Smith with Rodale Institute join the podcast to review the latest research on the value of cover crops in conventional (and organic) cotton production.

Cotton is finding itself managing through literal and figurative storms - from hurricanes in the Southeast to heavy lobbying efforts for a new farm bill and economic relief for financially strapped farmers. Georgia Extension Cotton Specialist Camp Hand and the NCC's Robbie Minnich join the podcast to share what's happening on both storm fronts.   

Despite all of the talk and political uncertainty, the reality is the U.S. farmers need a new farm bill - and soon. Dr. Darren Hudson of Texas Tech University joins the podcast to discuss the current situation and the paths ahead moving into 2025. Cottongrower.com

The impact of the Cotton Research and Promotion Program has recently drawn some criticism, particularly when it comes to creating demand. Bill Gillon of The Cotton Board says some of that may be justified considering today's market headwinds, but the bigger picture says otherwise. He joins the podcast to explain.

Confused over this year's ever-shifting cotton acreage and production numbers? We are, too. So, we asked Dr. O.A. Cleveland to explain.

Ken Legé, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Cotton Specialist in Lubbock, joins the podcast to discuss the high hopes - and potential remaining challenges - regarding this year's West Texas cotton crop after two years of extreme drought. 

Why is the cotton market slump continuing and where did an extra million planted acres over spring projections come from? Dr. John Robinson joins the podcast to explain.