This week we had the pleasure of visiting with Congressman Austin Scott of the 8th District. The 8th District runs about half of the length of Georgia from Macon south and about 4 counties wide in some areas. Some of the larger cotton producing counties are in this district. It is always great to be able to visit one-on-one with Senators and Congressmen while they are at home. Congressman Scott is on the ag committee and very aware of many of the issues cotton farmers are facing.
One of the first things we discussed was the pollinator protection issue. Many states, including Georgia, have or are developing statewide plans of best management practices to encourage pollinator health. The Georgia Cotton Commission supports the use of best management practices by farmers, landowners, beekeepers, and home owners to support a healthy habitat for pollinators. Congressman Scott is well aware of this issue and actually already introduced legislation aimed at helping protect honey bee populations. HR 5447 would expedite the approval process of products aimed at controlling the varroa mite, a deadly pest that can cause honey bee colonies significant losses.
Also discussed was the new herbicide technologies we hope to see in the fields next year. As all farmers know first hand, resistant pigweed is probably the single largest weed control issue in the Southeast US. Both Monsanto and Dow Agrosciences are introducing new technologies (pending full regulatory approval) that would help combat resistant pigweeds. The Georgia Cotton Commission has been a supporter of both new technologies as we hope that our farmers have as many options as possible to fight resistant pigweeds. I mentioned some of this in last week’s post. Congressman Scott understands the need for our farmers to have new and improved options on their farms.
Overall, it was a great visit and it was good time to learn more about the cotton industry and some current issues in Congress.
Above: Richey Seaton, Executive Director, Georgia Cotton Commission; Congressman Austin Scott (GA-8); and Lloyd May, Cotton Breeder, Monsanto
Above: Philip Grimes, 2014 GA Farmer of the Year; Congressman Scott; and Lloyd May
Georgia Cotton Commission 