2024 Georgia Quality Cotton Award Winners announced

Published 3:57 pm Thursday, July 24, 2025

The 2024 Georgia Quality Cotton Awards were presented at the 2025 Georgia Cotton Commission Mid-Year Meeting on July 23, 2025. 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. Dr. Yangxuan Liu, extension economist at the University of Georgia, conducted the analysis. Dr. Camp Hand presented the awards at the event in Statesboro on behalf of the UGA Cotton Team.

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 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 – Keith Melcher, Crisp County
Ginner – Arabi Gin Company, Inc., Arabi
Nominated by – Jack Quayle
500-1000 acres
Grower – Mark Thompson Wilcox County
Ginner – Arabi Gin Company, Inc., Arabi
Nominated by – John Bennett & Jay Porter
1000+ acres
Grower – Lime Creek Farms, Crisp County
Ginner – Arabi Gin Company, Inc., Arabi
Nominated by – Jack Quayle

Region 2
Less than 500 acres
Grower – Phillip John Raley, Glascock County
Ginner – Farmer’s Gin & Storage, Wadley
Nominated by – Pamela Sapp
500-1000 acres
Grower – Bill Godowns Farm Partnership, Jefferson County
Ginner – Farmer’s Gin & Storage, Wadley
Nominated by – Pamela Sapp
1000+ acres
Grower – Dean Johnson, Burke County
Ginner – Bryant’s Inc., Bartow
Nominated by – Cliff Collins & Peyton Sapp

Region 3
Less than 500 acres
Grower – Ryan Branch, Tift County
Ginner – Sconyers Gin & Warehouse Company, Sycamore
Nominated by – Justin Hand and Regan Veal
500-1000 acres
Grower – C + M Southern Farms, Brooks County
Ginner – B.C.T. Gin Company, Inc., Quitman
Nominated by – Michasia Dowdy
1000+ acres
Grower – Dewitt Farms, Brooks County
Ginner – B.C.T. Gin Company, Inc., Quitman
Nominated by – Michasia Dowdy

Region 4
Less than 500 acres
Grower – Allen Donalson, Grady County
Ginner – Boston Gin, Boston
Nominated by – Jackson Cale Cloud & Sydni Ingram
500-1000 acres
Grower – Adam Rowland, Thomas County
Ginner – B.C.T. Gin Company, Inc., Quitman
Nominated by – Sydni Ingram & Michasia Dowdy
1000+ acres
Grower –Parker Heard, Decatur County
Ginner – Clover Leaf Gin & Warehouse, Donalsonville
Nominated by – Hugh Moye

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 2024 Best Cotton Award went to Tift County’s Ryan Branch with a loan value of 57.05 cents/lb and a premium of 5.05 cents/lb.