Trade News | April 15, 2026

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BASF celebrates cotton farmers’ yield achievements with 21st annual FiberMax One Ton Club

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, April 15, 2026 – Qualifying cotton farmers and their families gathered in Lubbock, Texas, on April 9 to celebrate FiberMax® cotton yield achievements as part of BASF’s FiberMax One Ton Club™, a long-standing tradition now in its 21st year. The club recognizes cotton farmers who produce FiberMax cotton yields of one ton or more in a given year. In total, 42 farming operations made this year’s club following the 2025 growing season and were recognized at the annual banquet.

Kendall and Ruthie Holdeman of Saragosa, Texas, achieved the highest 2025 yield with 2,647 pounds of cotton per acre. The club also continues to draw multi-year winners, including Eric and Christy Seidenberger of Garden City, Texas, who have now qualified for the club 19 times, and Duwane and Bonnie Billings of Seagraves, Texas, who have qualified 18 times.

Both new FiberMax cotton varieties that were introduced for the 2025 growing season (FM 757AXTP and FM 814AXTP1) were used by farmers who achieved this year’s One Ton Club status. The next generation of BASF cotton varieties continue to deliver high yield potential while providing the consistency and quality farmers have come to expect over the last 20 years.

The club’s annual banquet culminates with a sweepstakes drawing for a two-year lease on a Ford® Super Duty® F-350 Lariat® truck. This year’s winners were Peyton and Kim Wilde of Lubbock, Texas.

“The One Ton Club represents the dedication, resilience and innovation that define our cotton‑growing communities, and it’s an honor to celebrate the farmers who reach this remarkable milestone each year,” said Bryan Perry, Head of U.S. Seeds & Traits for BASF Agricultural Solutions. “BASF is committed to helping cotton farmers doing the biggest job on Earth and helping push the boundaries of what’s possible in the field.”

Many cotton farmers have qualified for the One Ton Club over its 21-year history, and a growing number have become multi-year winners. Of the 42 farming operations that made the club this year, 23 were repeat winners. One Ton Club standouts who received special awards for their 2025 performance include: 

  • Highest yield: Kendall and Ruthie Holdeman of Saragosa, Texas, harvested an average of 2,647.4 pounds per acre with FM 814 AXTP.
  • Highest gross value: Kendall and Ruthie Holdeman of Saragosa, Texas, achieved the highest gross value of $1,523.58 with FM 814 AXTP.
  • Most acres: H Bar H Farms of Dalhart, Texas, planted 3,426 acres to FM 765AX.
  • Highest loan value: Loren C Pratt Family Partnership of Wellton, Arizona, achieved the highest loan value of $0.5788 with FM 868AX.

To qualify for the FiberMax One Ton Club, growers must produce a minimum of 2,000 pounds of ginned cotton per acre on a minimum of 20 acres planted with 100% FiberMax cotton from January 1 to December 31 of the given year. The FiberMax One Ton Club is open to growers in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Growers must provide an accurate and complete qualification form and gin recap sheets to verify 2,000 pounds per acre yields. See full details for qualification.

To view the complete list of 2025 winners and learn more about the FiberMax One Ton Club, visit FiberMax.com/OTC

Always read and follow label directions. One Ton Club is a trademark and FiberMax is a registered trademark of BASF. Ford, Super Duty and Lariat are registered trademarks of Ford Motor Company. One Ton Club is not sponsored by Ford Motor Company. © 2026 BASF Agricultural Solutions LLC. All Rights Reserved. 

1 Availability of cottonseed containing the Axant™ Flex technology for the 2026 growing season and beyond is subject to many factors, and such seed may not be available in all cotton-growing areas. Commercial sales of cottonseed containing the Axant Flex technology is subject to stewardship obligations, which may include among other requirements or restrictions on where the crop resulting from such seed may be sold, transferred, and/or exported. BASF does not guarantee any publicized results, and each grower is solely responsible for farming management practices and decisions, including, without limitation, selecting seed best suitable for the intended growth and use under grower’s local conditions. Currently, Alite ISO herbicides has a registration pending for use on cotton containing the Axant Flex technology, but due to unforeseen delays outside of BASF’s control, the timing of such registrations is uncertain. As of the date of this publication, Alite ISO herbicide is not registered for use on cotton containing the Axant Flex technology and is not available for sale. BASF is working to obtain these registrations but cannot guarantee that registrations will occur in time for application. This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to promote the sale of these products. Any sale of these products after registration is obtained shall be based solely on the EPA approved product label, and any claims regarding product safety and efficacy shall be addressed solely by the label. Additional state restrictions may apply. Crops not containing a gene expressing an HPPD protein will not be tolerant of Alite ISO herbicide.


About BASF’s Agricultural Solutions division

Everything we do, we do for the love of farming. Farming is fundamental to provide sufficient and affordable food for a rapidly growing population, while reducing environmental impacts. That’s why we are working with partners and experts to integrate sustainability criteria into all business decisions. With €990 million in 2025, we invest in a strong R&D pipeline, and our solutions are purpose-designed for different crop systems. Connecting seeds and traits, crop protection products, digital tools and sustainability approaches, to help deliver the best possible outcomes for farmers, growers and stakeholders along the value chain. In 2025, our business generated sales of €9.6 billion. For more information, please visit www.agriculture.basf.com or our social media channels.


About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 15,600 employees in North America and had sales of $18.1 billion in 2025. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.com/us.

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. Our ambition: We want to be the preferred chemical company to enable our customers’ green transformation. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 108,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises, as core businesses, the segments Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, and Nutrition & Care; our standalone businesses are bundled in the segments Surface Technologies and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of around €60 billion in 2025. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com.

Pace Sagester
Agricultural Solutions
Qualifying cotton farmers and their families gathered in Lubbock, Texas, on April 9 to celebrate FiberMax® cotton yield achievements as part of BASF’s FiberMax One Ton Club™, a long-standing tradition now in its 21st year. The club’s annual banquet culminates with a sweepstakes drawing for a two-year lease on a Ford® Super Duty® F-350 Lariat® truck. This year’s winners were Peyton and Kim Wilde of Lubbock, Texas.
Qualifying cotton farmers and their families gathered in Lubbock, Texas, on April 9 to celebrate FiberMax® cotton yield achievements as part of BASF’s FiberMax One Ton Club™, a long-standing tradition now in its 21st year. The club’s annual banquet culminates with a sweepstakes drawing for a two-year lease on a Ford® Super Duty® F-350 Lariat® truck. This year’s winners were Peyton and Kim Wilde of Lubbock, Texas.
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Last UpdateApril 15, 2026