USDA AMS Cotton Progam

Agricultural Marketing Servicesams.usda.gov

The USDA AMS Cotton Program is a federal agency program that administers cotton market news, grading standards, regulations, and warehouse services for U.S. producers, while participating in the broader Commodity Procurement Program purchasing $2-5 billion annually across 200+ agricultural products for domestic nutrition assistance and international food aid.

Company typePublic
Founded1917
HeadquartersMemphis, Tennessee, United States
Headcount101–250
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What USDA AMS Cotton Progam does

The USDA AMS Cotton Program is a commodity-specific program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), an agency established in 1917. It administers market news, grading standards, rules and regulations, and warehouse services for U.S. cotton producers, while also participating in the broader Commodity Procurement Program that purchases over 200 different agricultural products annually through a competitive bidding process. Spending is coordinated with the Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA) for domestic nutrition assistance programs (National School Lunch Program, TEFAP) and the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) for international humanitarian food aid (Food for Peace, Food for Progress, McGovern-Dole). The program's primary customers are U.S. agricultural producers, federal nutrition assistance programs, and international food aid recipients.

The program's core technology is the Web-Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) system, a fully integrated web-based platform that handles solicitations, awards, and contract management for commodity food purchases. Procurement is structured through competitive bidding among approved vendors, with pricing determined per transaction and operations supported by congressional appropriations. The program also maintains official U.S. grades and standards, mandatory market reporting, and cross-agency regulatory collaboration with DHS Customs and Border Protection and USDA APHIS on imported organic product oversight.

From a go-to-market perspective, the program operates as a sales-led, government-to-vendor procurement channel, with vendor outreach conducted through USDA channels including the official website, GovDelivery email updates, social media, and publications. Distribution flows through federal nutrition assistance programs domestically and international humanitarian food aid programs globally. The program is funded through federal appropriations rather than commercial revenue, with no private ownership, investors, or external capital structure.

USDA AMS Cotton Progam firmographics

Firmographics

Name: USDA AMS Cotton Progam
Legal name: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service
Website: https://ams.usda.gov
Company type: Public
Founded year: 1917
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 101–250 employees
Short description: The USDA AMS Cotton Program is a federal agency program that administers cotton market news, grading standards, regulations, and warehouse services for U.S. producers, while participating in the broader Commodity Procurement Program purchasing $2-5 billion annually across 200+ agricultural products for domestic nutrition assistance and international food aid.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

USDA AMS Cotton Progam industry classification

Industry

Product category: Agricultural Marketing Services
NAICS: Regulation of Agricultural Marketing and Commodities (92614), Cotton Ginning (115111), Farm Product Warehousing and Storage (493130)
SIC: Agricultural Services (700)
akta.pro primary industry: Cotton Farming (Upland & Pima/ELS) (AFAGAFAA)

Keywords

Agricultural marketing services
Cotton grading standards
Commodity procurement
Warehouse services
Agricultural market news

Where USDA AMS Cotton Progam is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Memphis, Tennessee
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

USDA AMS Cotton Progam business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

Commodity Procurement Program (CPP): USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service purchases domestically produced and processed commodity food products through a competitive process among approved vendors. The program supports American agriculture by encouraging consumption of domestic foods and feeds people through nutrition assistance and humanitarian food aid programs.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Transaction based/ take rate	Pay-as-you-go	Competitive Government Procurement

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

USDA AMS Cotton Progam product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The USDA AMS Cotton Program provides cotton market news, official U.S. grades and standards, rules and regulations, and warehouse services for the cotton industry. As part of the broader AMS Commodity Procurement Program, it leverages the Web-Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) system to purchase domestically produced and processed agricultural commodities through competitive bidding among approved vendors. The program supports American agriculture by encouraging consumption of domestic foods and distributing purchased commodities through federal nutrition assistance and international food aid programs.

Product overview

The USDA AMS Cotton Program operates as part of the Agricultural Marketing Service, providing a suite of services including market news reporting, grades and standards development, rules and regulations administration, and warehouse services for the cotton industry. The program also participates in the broader AMS Commodity Procurement Program, which utilizes the Web-Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) system to facilitate purchasing of over 200 different agricultural products annually. These services work together to create domestic and international marketing opportunities for U.S. cotton producers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Cotton & Warehouse Program Provides cotton market news, grades and standards, rules and regulations, and warehouse services for the cotton industry under USDA AMS.
Market News Provides market news reports and data for cotton and tobacco products, offering price information and market trends.
Commodity Procurement Program (CPP) USDA AMS program that purchases domestically produced and processed commodity food products through competitive processes among approved vendors, supporting American agriculture and feeding people through nutrition assistance and humanitarian food aid programs.
Web-Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) Fully integrated, web-based ordering and procurement system used by AMS for commodity purchases, handling solicitations, awards, and contract management.
Grades & Standards Establishes and maintains official U.S. standards for grading and classification of agricultural commodities including cotton.
Rules & Regulations Administers rules and regulations for cotton and tobacco including marketing orders, mandatory market reporting, and research & promotion programs.

Quantifiable outcome

Purchases $2-5 billion in American agricultural products annually
+1 more outcomes

Companies that use USDA AMS Cotton Progam

Customer profile

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

USDA AMS Cotton Progam technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

USDA AMS Cotton Progam partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

School Food FOCUS (FOCUS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2013In September 2013, School Food FOCUS partnered with USDA AMS on a cooperative agreement to enhance regional produce procurement capacity of Detroit Public Schools. The partnership aimed to create benefits for producers through new market opportunities and improve schoolchildren's access to healthy fresh foods.
Detroit Eastern Market (DEM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with DPS and FOCUS to target winter squash for increased regional procurement and research supply chains bringing Michigan-grown blueberries into Detroit Public Schools.
Detroit Public Schools (DPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking with FOCUS to research current channels for regional produce and identify ways to enhance the district's capacity to procure fruits and vegetables regionally.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration between USDA AMS and CIAS focused on transportation and distribution issues in local and regional food systems, leading to the Networking Across the Supply Chain (NASC) conference.
Wallace Center at Winrock InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on food value chain research and publications, contributing to guidance on food value chain initiation, structure, and benefits.
Regional Food Solutions, LLCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributed to food value chain research publications providing examples and guidance on values-based operating principles.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Customs and Border Protection (CBP)coreTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration on oversight of imported organic products, addressing recommendations from the USDA Office of the Inspector General concerning organic product import oversight.
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)coreTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration on imported organic product oversight, addressing supply chain complexity and market integrity issues.
Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages domestic food and nutrition assistance programs including National School Lunch Program and TEFAP, generating demand from qualified recipients and coordinating with AMS on purchase planning and scheduling.
Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMS supports FAS to supply food to communities worldwide through programs such as Food for Peace, Food for Progress, and McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

USDA AMS Cotton Progam competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Regional players

International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC): Intergovernmental body of cotton-producing and consuming nations focused on global cotton market transparency. The USDA AMS Cotton Program is the U.S. point of contact, providing market and classification data that informs international cotton policy.

Others

Cotton Council International (CCI): Export promotion arm of the U.S. cotton industry, partially funded through the USDA market development programs AMS helps administer. Operates in the same international marketing channel where AMS commodity procurement and grading data flow.
Cotton Incorporated: Research and promotion company for U.S. cotton, funded in part by USDA-overseen checkoff programs. Engages with AMS Cotton Program on quality research, fiber standards, and producer-funded marketing efforts.
National Cotton Council of America: Federation of U.S. cotton industry segments that advocates on policy and coordinates with USDA AMS on cotton programs, grading standards, and trade issues. Industry-side counterpart engaging with the Cotton Program on regulatory and marketing matters.

Direct peers

USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS): Administers the National School Lunch Program and TEFAP — the largest demand channel for AMS-purchased commodities. Partner agency that converts the Cotton Program's procurement output into nutrition-assistance distribution.
USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS): Operates international food aid and market development programs (Food for Peace, Food for Progress, McGovern-Dole) that AMS's procurement system supplies. Coordinates with the Cotton Program on international cotton marketing and food-aid purchasing.
USDA Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS): Sister program within AMS providing official grading, inspection, and standardization services for grain — operating with the same federal mandate, fee-based structure, and standards-setting authority. Closest operational analog for the Cotton Program's grading function.
USDA National Organic Program (NOP): Another AMS division that establishes federal standards, accredits certifiers, and enforces compliance. Peer in regulatory-program construction and standards-setting authority, even though it covers organic rather than cotton.

Broad incumbents

USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA): Sister USDA agency that delivers farm programs, commodity support, and disaster assistance. Adjacent mandate in cotton acreage reporting and producer program eligibility, frequently interfacing with AMS on cotton-related data and policy.
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (parent agency): The parent federal agency housing the Cotton & Tobacco Program. Directly comparable as a federal entity administering grading, market news, and procurement across multiple commodities — the Cotton Program is one division within AMS's portfolio of commodity programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

USDA AMS Cotton Progam financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

USDA AMS Cotton Progam leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

USDA AMS Cotton Progam funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

USDA AMS Cotton Progam M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about USDA AMS Cotton Progam

What does USDA AMS Cotton Progam do?

Is USDA AMS Cotton Progam a public or private company?

USDA AMS Cotton Progam is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was USDA AMS Cotton Progam founded?

USDA AMS Cotton Progam was founded in 1917. It employs 101 to 250 people.

Where is USDA AMS Cotton Progam based?

USDA AMS Cotton Progam is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, in the North America region.

How does USDA AMS Cotton Progam make money?

One revenue line is on record: commodity Procurement Program (CPP).

Who are USDA AMS Cotton Progam's main competitors?

International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) is listed as a regional player. Others are Cotton Council International (CCI), Cotton Incorporated and National Cotton Council of America. Direct peers are USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), USDA Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) and USDA National Organic Program (NOP). Broad incumbents are USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) and USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (parent agency).

Does USDA AMS Cotton Progam have an API?

No public API is recorded for USDA AMS Cotton Progam.

What industry is USDA AMS Cotton Progam in?

USDA AMS Cotton Progam's product category is Agricultural Marketing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAGAFAA, Cotton Farming (Upland & Pima/ELS). Its NAICS code is 92614 and its SIC code is 700.