2022 Best Cotton Award winner Blake Exum, second from left, is joined by, from left, Georgia Cotton Commission Executive Director Taylor Sills, Bayer Crop Science Agronomist Dr. Edward Beasley, Brooks County UGA Extension Agent Will Brown, and BCT Gin Company General Manager Jessica Goodman.

STATESBORO — The 2022 Georgia Quality Cotton Awards were presented at the 2023 Georgia Cotton Commission Mid-Year Meeting on July 26. 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 in Statesboro.

The purpose of the awards is to recognize producers and ginners of high-quality cotton fiber and to identify their general management practices for the benefit of other growers, the Georgia Cotton Commission said in a press release.

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 were given in each of 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 cotton commission said. “The winners’ excellent achievements are due largely to their management practices and expertise.”

REGION 1

Less than 500 acres

Grower – Edwin Clark, Wilcox County

Ginner – Sconyers Gin & Warehouse Company, Sycamore

Nominated by – John Bennett

500-1,000 acres

Grower – Mark Thompson, Pulaski County

Ginner – Arabi Gin Company, Inc., Arabi

Nominated by – Jay Porter

1,000+ 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

500-1,000 acres

Grower – J. Robert Jones, Toombs County

Ginner – South Georgia Cotton Gin, LLC, Hazlehurst

Nominated by – Jason Edenfield

1,000+ 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, Brooks County

Ginner – B.C.T. Gin Company, Inc., Quitman

Nominated by – William Brown

500-1,000 acres

Grower – Wall to Wall Farms, LLC

Ginner – South Georgia Cotton Gin, LLC, Hazlehurst

Nominated by – Ashley Smith

1,000+ acres

Grower – Brian & Ken Ponder Farms, Tift County

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

500-1,000 acres

Grower – Stephen Houston, Jr., Seminole County

Ginner – Clover Leaf Gin, Inc., Donalsonville

Nominated by – Cindy Meadows

1,000+ acres

Grower – Mims Farms, Seminole County

Ginner – Clover Leaf Gin Inc., Donalsonville

Nominated by – Cindy Meadows

The final award given was the overall Best Cotton Award. This was awarded to the Georgia cotton producer with highest loan value and premium.

The 2022 Best Cotton Award went to Brooks County’s Jonathan Sykes and Blake Exum with a loan value of 56.81 cents/lb. and a premium of 4.81 cents/lb.