The Louisiana Cotton Festival is back for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
The fun kicks off Wednesday, October 20 at 5:00 p.m. when the fairgrounds open.
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India’s 2021/22 consumption is forecast at a record 25.5 million bales and exports are projected at the second-highest level in 8 years at 5.8 million. This level of total use is forecast to lower ending stocks to 12.4 million bales, down nearly 4.0 million compared with the record level 2 years prior.
A robust recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and stronger domestic consumption and exports of cotton yarn, fabric, and products are projected to support a significant downfall in stocks.
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With crops, farmers will adapt — they always have and always will. To help this adaptation, however, a Texas A&M AgriLife research project has used artificial intelligence modeling to determine what traits cultivars will need to be successful under changing climate conditions.
The project’s other goal was to help extend the life of the Ogallala Aquifer. Safeguarding the aquifer will require understanding how crops adapt to future cropping practices, especially since climate change predictions indicate summers will be warmer and dryer in the future.
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The cotton market had a wild session Friday, moving from limit-up bid to lower, and then slightly higher at the close. After a night of potential strong Chinese buying, ICE Futures were limit up, however, traders became disappointed with USDA’s weekly export-sales data.
Those numbers show sharply lower sales and starkly lower shipments. Thus, profit taking emerged, sending prices down. However, given that the trend remains undeniably up, the market did regroup to finish higher.
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Seven students were selected from 17 qualified applicants for the 3rd annual AMVAC Cotton Industry Advancement Scholarship. Each scholarship recipient received $2,000.
“Every year, it’s amazing to see the skill, knowledge and passion these students have for the cotton industry, and it’s an honor to support young leaders as they pursue their dream careers,” said Paul Vaculin, cotton marketing manager at AMVAC.
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The explosion in cotton prices continued this week as U.S. and offshore funds poured bags of cash into both the New York Cotton Exchange and the Chinese ZCE. The climb to the top continues, wherever that is. The price objective of $1.25 to $1.35 is still in the realm of possibility, although I am a bit dazed by the limit up to limit up trading.
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Both traditional and organic producers are increasing their use of cover crops for a variety of reasons — to control erosion, choke out weeds, improve soil health and enhance water availability. Now research by University of Georgia scientists is examining which cover crops may also provide important habitat for predatory insects that could help control disease- and damage-causing pests in cotton.
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A cold front blew through yesterday, chasing off clouds in the overcast sky and replacing them with sunshine and a crispy nip in the air. It was as if the stars had aligned just right on the first day of fall. October has always been my favorite time of the year.
One of my fondest memories is going out to the farm with my dad early in the morning. He stood at the edge of the field and smiled as he looked out over the open cotton. To me, it seemed the lines on his face were not as deep and his demeanor was more relaxed than it had been during the hectic months leading up to harvest.
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The 2022 Beltwide Cotton Conferences (BWCC), set for January 4-6 at the Marriott Rivercenter Hotel in San Antonio, Texas, will offer attendees timely updates on the latest research, technology and issues affecting U.S. cotton production and processing.
The BWCC, coordinated by the National Cotton Council, annually brings together university and USDA researchers, regulatory agencies, extension personnel/agents, consultants, and industry sales/support personnel to exchange information about new products and production/processing systems that can be tailored to individual farming operations for maximum efficiency.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for October 2021, which are effective Oct. 1, as well as marketing assistance loan rates for upland cotton in 2022. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures or meet cash flow needs.
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The cotton crop in the Deep South is later than normal. Weather didn't cooperate. But there's time to thread the needle on timely aggressive harvest aids to grab more quality yield from some fields.
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Cotton is one of the oldest textile fibers in the world, reaching back until the fifth or fourth millennium B.C., with some of the earliest cultivation occurring in Mexico, India, Egypt and China. One of the earliest reports of its cultivation in what is now the United States dates to 1556 in Florida, though it was found growing in the wild by Christopher Columbus in 1492 and along the banks of the Mississippi and its tributaries by subsequent explorers. The first reported cultivation in Louisiana dates to 1729, but reports tracing to the early 17th century exist. Louisiana State University Agricultural Experiment Station bulletins mentioning cotton fertility research appeared in 1886, and the first testing of 22 different cotton varieties appeared in 1887. Then, cotton variety trial yields ranged from 420 to 586 pounds of lint per acre. More than a century later, the state’s average yield has doubled.
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The weather is cooperating with some areas more than others. East Louisiana and Arkansas are experiencing perfect harvest weather, but it’s been raining in south Mississippi for four days with another week of rain in the forecast.
Early planted cotton is ready for defoliation in most areas and has started in Arkansas. As soon as rain lets up, south Mississippi will be defoliating, harvesting soybeans and treating late leaf spot in peanuts.
Yields for all crops look good, but Hurricane Ida has impacted prices and timeliness. Talk of cover crops and wheat planting is ramping up.
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The U.S. cotton industry loses from $600 million to $750 million per year to contamination that creates production and quality issues for mills.
“That’s a significant loss,” says USDA ARS Engineer John Wanjura, at the USDA ARS Gin Lab in Lubbock, Texas.
Contamination, mostly plastic, results in a loss in premiums U.S. cotton merchants once enjoyed because of its reputation as a cleaner, higher-quality fiber compared to cotton from competing trade areas with similar quality, Wanjura says.
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This week, the House Agriculture Committee passed its portion of the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package, including more than $94 billion in new spending related to agriculture.
For Louisiana, there is a glaring hole in that spending plan as it is lacking supplemental disaster assistance for farmers and ranchers after Hurricane Ida ravaged the state last month.
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