Delta Farm Press
Recently, I had the opportunity to tour the USDA Cotton Classification Complex in Memphis, Tenn., It serves as the Program’s field headquarters and houses one of 10 regional classing offices located throughout the nation’s cotton producing areas. Together these regional offices grade every bale of cotton produced in the United States, but the Memphis office is special.
Most every bale of cotton produced in the world — not just the U.S. — has a connection to the USDA Cotton & Tobacco Program in Memphis. You could say the same for every pair of jeans or every cotton shirt in existence. Cotton standards used across the world originate at this facility. The cotton standards connect every facet of the cotton industry — from agricultural production to textiles.