Cooperative Agreement AP26PPQFO000C174

AWARD PURPOSE: COTTON REMAINS A HIGH-VALUE COMMODITY IN ALABAMA AGRICULTURE, WITH USDA'S NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE RE PORTING THAT IN THE 2024 CROP YEAR ALABAMA PRODUCERS PLANTED 400,000 ACRES, HARVESTED 396,000 ACRES, AND YIELDED 816 POUNDS PER ACRE, PRODUCING 673,000 480-LB BALES OF UPLAND COTTON WITH AN ESTIMATED LINT VALUE OF $189,898,000 AND COTTONSEED VALUE OF $32,725,000, FOR A TOTAL PRODUCTION VALUE EXCEEDING $208 MILLION. COTTON PRODUCTION AND RELATED ACTIVITIES GENERATE NEARLY 4,800 JOBS AND APPROXIMATELY $566.9 MILLION IN TOTAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY WITHIN ALABAMA'S AGRICULTURAL AND FORESTRY ECONOMY, REFLECTING ITS SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN SUPPORTING EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC OUTPUT THROUGHOUT THE SUPPLY CHAIN. THE ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRIES AIMS TO PROTECT THE STATE'S COTTON INDUSTRY BY CONDUCTING A COTTON COMMODITY SURVEY TO DETERMINE THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF EXOTIC PLANT PESTS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY AFFECT THE INDUSTRY. TARGET PESTS FOR THIS SURVEY INCLUDE THOSE THAT CAUSE DAMAGE TO COTTON PLANTS, ULTIMATELY PREVENTING THE PLANT FROM NORMAL DEVELOPMENT. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: THE COOPERATOR SEEKS TO CONDUCT A PROGRAM WHICH IS EXPECTED TO RESULT IN: THE ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRIES AIMS TO PROTECT THE STATE'S COTTON INDUSTRY BY CONDUCTING A COTTON SURVEY TO DETERMINE THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF KEY PEST THREATS THAT NEGATIVELY IMPACT COTTONSEED QUALITY, OIL QUALITY, AND LINT QUALITY, WHICH IS ESSENTIAL FOR MAINTAINING CROP VALUE, PRODUCER INCOME, AND MARKET STABILITY. DELIVERABLES AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES: SURVEYS WILL BE CONDUCTED WHILE SEED BOLLS ARE OPEN DURING LATE SPRING AND EARLY FALL. PEST DETECTION SURVEY ACTIVITIES COMPLETED. ALL DATA COLLECTED FROM THE PEST DETECTION SURVEY IS ENTERED INTO THE APHIS APPROVED DATABASE. STATE PLANT HEALTH DIRECTOR, STATE PLANT REGULATORY OFFICIAL, PEST SURVEY SPECIALIST AND STATE SURVEY COORDINATOR MEETINGS TO KEEP UPDATED ON ISSUES, IF NEEDED. PRESENCE OF ABSENCE OF TARGET SPECIMENS. BETTER KNOWLEDGE OF THE COTTON PRODUCTION INDUSTRY. BETTER KNOWLEDGE OF HIGH-RISK SITES.