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Georgia Quality Cotton Award winners announced

by Georgia Cotton Commission


Posted on Aug 08, 2023 at 20:00 PM


The 2022 Georgia Quality Cotton Awards were presented at the 2023 Georgia Cotton Commission Mid-Year Meeting on July 26 in Statesboro. The awards are co-sponsored by the Georgia Cotton Commission and Bayer Crop Science/Deltapine and administered by the University of Georgia (UGA) Cotton Team. Yangxuan Liu from the UGA Cotton Team conducted the analysis and presented the awards at the event.

The awards recognize producers and ginners of high-quality cotton fiber and dentify their general management practices for the benefit of other growers. The producers and their gins received a plaque, and the winning producers received a $500 cash award. The UGA County Extension Agent for each winner was also recognized as they work closely with the farmers during the growing season.

The awards are given in each of these three cotton acreage categories: 1) less than 500 acres, 2) 500 to 1,000 acres, and 3) greater than 1,000 acres within the four regions of the state. Winners in these categories are determined by the loan value and premiums of their cotton. The winners’ excellent achievements are due largely to their management practices and expertise. The sponsors of this program congratulate the following winners:

Region 1

Less than 500 acres: Grower – Edwin Clark, Wilcox County; Ginner – Sconyers Gin & Warehouse Company, Sycamore; nominated by John Bennett.

500-1000 acres: Grower – Mark Thompson, Pulaski County; Ginner – Arabi Gin Company Inc., Arabi; nominated by Jay Porter.

1000+ acres: Grower – Robert Lancaster, Pulaski County; Ginner – Heart of Georgia Peanut & Gin, Hawkinsville; nominated by Jay Porter.

Region 2

Less than 500 acres: Grower – Derek Davis, Washington County; Ginner – Midville Warehouse, Inc., Midville; nominated by Rocky Tanner.

500-1000 acres: Grower – J. Robert Jones, Toombs County; Ginner – South Georgia Cotton Gin LLC, Hazlehurst; nominated by Jason Edenfield.

1000+ acres: Grower – Chris Hopkins, Toombs County; Ginner – South Georgia Cotton Gin LLC, Hazlehurst; nominated by Jason Edenfield.

Region 3

Less than 500 acres: Grower – Jonathan Sykes & Blake Exum; Ginner – B.C.T. Gin Company Inc., Quitman; nominated by William Brown.

500-1000 acres: Grower – Wall to Wall Farms LLC; Ginner – South Georgia Cotton Gin LLC, Hazlehurst; nominated by Ashley Smith.

1000+ acres: Grower – Brian & Ken Ponder Farms, Omega; Ginner – Omega Gin Company, Omega; nominated by Justin Hand.

Region 4

Less than 500 acres: Grower – Lisa Still Bruner, Early County; Ginner – Early County Gin Inc., Blakely; nominated by Brian Creswell.

500-1000 acres: Grower – Stephen Houston Jr., Seminole County; Ginner – Clover Leaf Gin Inc., Donalsonville; nominated by Cindy Meadows.

1000+ acres: Grower – Mims Farms, Seminole County; Ginner – Clover Leaf Gin Inc., Donalsonville; nominated by Cindy Meadows.

The overall Best Cotton Award was awarded to the Georgia cotton producer with the highest loan value and premium. The 2022 Best Cotton Award went to Brooks County’s Jonathan Sykes & Blake Exum with a loan value of 56.81 cents/lb and a premium of 4.81 cents/lb.


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