On the subject of continued economic recovery

Multiple Factors Affect Clear Vision


On the subject of continued economic recovery, Dr. John Robinson, Extension economist-cotton marketing with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, says although he cannot give a definite percentage or weight to the topic, he does say that reported economic recovery is an important factor here (in the United States) and will continue to be an important factor in 2010.

Robinson also notes that he is hearing there are signs of recovering demand for quality cotton in China, following adverse weather conditions that occurred during its harvest season. Even if the bad weather didn't reduce China's actual yield, it probably affected the grade enough that they would be more interested in importing cotton to fill that shortfall.

A weak dollar also should create demand for U.S. cotton overseas, so that's another positive factor to consider, he adds.


source : cottonfarming

Finally, even in the West

When Prices Improved, Producers Responded

Tommy Horton

Finally, even in the West where cotton acres were drastically reduced in California in 2009, there are signs of modest but significant increases. Contributing Editor Brenda Carol offers an in-depth look at why producers felt confident enough to make the switch, while having numerous options to grow other crops.

Projections and predictions are just that. They are forecasts based on how price relationships stand at the moment. Any unexpected event can change the environment quickly when you're dealing with volatile commodity markets. However, even the most conservative economist can't ignore these potential trends for 2010.

It's been a long wait for producers. Now it's time for that patience to be rewarded.

source : cottonfarming

They found out that even though corn

When Prices Improved, Producers Responded

Tommy Horton

They found out that even though corn is an excellent rotation crop with cotton, there were hidden costs in corn production – storage, transportation and adequate water supplies, to name a few. Suddenly, the switch to cotton looked like the right decision for the new season.

We share all of this background information to point out how the stage was set for what economists now project as the beginning of cotton's comeback in 2010. Not surprisingly, it also happens to be the theme of this month's issue of Cotton Farming.

Viewed from any angle, today's farmer has to be flexible enough to respond to market signals. When the New York cotton futures contract moves into the mid-70 cent range, decisions have to be made. Acreage shifts occur. This trend, which figures to continue through most of 2010, has had a ripple effect across the Belt.

source : cottonfarming

Early indications

Learning Lessons From The Past

Lia Guthrie

Early indications are that cotton acreage will increase throughout the Cotton Belt. Our marketing cooperative friends tell us that they have signed more acres for 2010 than they sold in 2009. And with the past years heavy on corn, cotton is now being considered the crop of choice for 2010.

My father made the decision to rebuild on the very site where the explosion occurred…right on the edge of a cotton field. While I continue to find fragments of the "old house" in the field behind their current home, I feel no shame or pain. Instead, it usually provokes a smile and a quiet laugh.  Maybe it is because we all survived. Maybe it's having 45 years to reflect on the changes it has made in our lives.

As we begin a new decade in 2010, may we remember the benchmarks of our past, including the 2009 season. But more importantly, may we remember that time makes the scars less noticeable, and these events provide us some lessons learned and advice to leave to the next generation.

source : cottonfarming

Learning Lessons From The Past

Learning Lessons From The Past

Lia Guthrie


To many farmers, the 2009 season may have been a year to remember...or better yet, forget. It is interesting to me that dates and events are sometimes the benchmarks of our past and a point of reference for our future. Black Tuesday, the Kennedy assassination and 9/11 are a few that come to mind.

For me personally, it is "the fire." Most of my family history has been in reference to "before the fire" and "after the fire." You see, when I was three years old, my entire family was in a butane explosion. It was a Sunday afternoon in June of 1964 that my parents, two brothers and little sister experienced an event that should have ended our lives.

While I don't recall all the details, I do know that four of the six of us would be transferred from the Leland, Miss., hospital to what was soon to be called the Burn Center in Greenville, Miss. After several months of skin graft surgeries, traction and a host of doctors, we all managed to recuperate by the grace of God. While all of us still carry the scars of that traumatic event, all six of us survived, and important lessons were learned.


source : cottonfarming

Going Green In Home Designs

Cotton Finds A New Use In Wall Covering
 
Going Green In Home Designs

Exclusively distributed by Specialty Finishes in Springfield, Neb., U.S. Cotton Wall Covering is a growing favorite among "green" home designs and has been showcased at the Street of Dreams and Parade of Homes in several major U.S. cities.

"U.S. Cotton Wall Covering offers a low carbon footprint by sourcing U.S. cotton, and it's a conscientious alternative to petroleum-based vinyl wall finishings," notes Wedegaertner.

The mixture is hand-applied and custom-mixed to match a color palette limited only by one's imagination.

"It's a very unique product and is ideal for bathrooms because it absorbs and releases excess moisture while resisting peeling, molding or fading," says Tim Bell, owner of Specialty Finishes, the U.S. company that exclusively distributes the product.


source : cottonfarming

Cotton Finds A New Use In Wall Covering

Cotton Finds A New Use In Wall Covering
 
Cotton Incorporated has a reputation around the world for conducting innovative research related to cotton, cotton production and the processing of cotton textiles.

The organization's award-winning "The Fabric of Our Lives" television advertising campaigns are credited with resurrecting U.S. consumer demand for cotton in the United States. While some of the cotton products they promote are created with program funds, some are not, but are so unique, Cotton Incorporated recognizes their potential to increase overall cotton consumption, so it assists in their promotion.

Such is the case with a new and very innovative wall covering called U.S. Cotton Wall Covering.


source : cottonfarming

Even though our water situation in the Los Banos

California Cotton Bounces Back

Brenda Carol

Even though our water situation in the Los Banos area is better than some, the effects of a drought (legislative or otherwise) have terrible impacts all over the state," Bowles says. "From an engineering, biological and economic standpoint, all farmers dependent on surface water deliveries in California are yoked together, even if some presently suffer more than others."

In the long-term, the competition for water resources will only get fiercer, according to almost anyone with expertise in the field. It's not only a matter of conservation, but also a matter of environmental impact.

"Our district is rapidly converting to buried drip, which not only increases yield and saves water and labor," Bowles says. "It also reduces runoff, which will become more and more of an issue in the years ahead."

source : cottonfarming

The Choice: Pima Or Acala

California Cotton Bounces Back

Brenda Carol

The Choice: Pima Or Acala

Bowles sees some planting options utilizing either Pima or upland cotton.

"We're so far north that Pima is pretty risky," he says. "We try to plant 10 to 20 percent to Pima or Hazera, and the rest to Acala, which we generally roller-gin. If it's a lousy spring, and we can't plant until the second week in April, we'll forgo planting any Pima."

Factors such as the state of the dairy industry, water issues and crop competition, which drove the California cotton market into the dust over the past few years, are now some of the same factors bringing it back.

source : cottonfarming

Improving Expectations

California Cotton Bounces Back

Brenda Carol

Improving Expectations

Currently, the expectation is that between 200,000 and 360,000 acres of cotton will be planted in California.

"It depends on what happens with water allocation and the price of cotton," Williams says. "In September, we sold out of '08 Pima and now '09 is selling, which seems to be pushing prices higher. We're looking at $1.30 to $1.40  (per pound) for Pima and over 80 cents for upland."

That sentiment is echoed by Bowles as well as others, and it translates into cautiously optimistic numbers in planting intentions as well as price regardless of whether it's Pima or upland varieties.


source : cottonfarming

I’m more enthusiastic about the future

California Cotton Bounces Back

Brenda Carol

"I'm more enthusiastic about the future of California cotton than I've been in a long time," says Earl Williams, California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association president in Fresno, Calif. "Producers are getting back into cotton. I would say about 30 to 40 percent who abandoned the crop for alternative crops are now coming back to it."

Improving Expectations

Currently, the expectation is that between 200,000 and 360,000 acres of cotton will be planted in California.

"It depends on what happens with water allocation and the price of cotton," Williams says. "In September, we sold out of '08 Pima and now '09 is selling, which seems to be pushing prices higher. We're looking at $1.30 to $1.40  (per pound) for Pima and over 80 cents for upland."

source : cottonfarming

I wish we would have had better growing

New Varieties Show Promise
     
"I wish we would have had better growing conditions for the plot because it was a real test to grow cotton last year," says Don. "We averaged 950 pounds per acre across the seven or eight varieties planted on our farm. They were 100 to 200 pounds better than everything else."

Perhaps the most candid assessment came from Texas producer Gary Grogan of Amarillo. He is confident that the new varieties will improve his yields and quality, but he also hopes he can keep up with the rapid pace of the technology being offered.

"There's no question that the varieties are helping us," says Grogan. "I'm just trying to keep up with the technology because it's coming at us pretty fast.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm glad we have such good choices coming down the pike right now. I'm just trying to digest everything."

source : cottonfarming

Although Miller and other consultants are still involved

New Varieties Show Promise
     
Although Miller and other consultants are still involved in their own learning curve about the new 2010 varieties that Monsanto and Deltapine are launching, he believes this project can help producers improve their management skills. For example, he believes that when DP 555 BG/RR was launched in 2002, it took producers nearly three years to learn how to manage that vigorous cotton variety.

"This is definitely an improvement," Miller says. "When you can look at a variety over 12 to 15 acres, it makes a world of difference compared to a small six-row plot. You can learn more, and that's what producers want."

Positive Reaction

The general reaction from producers who attended the launch event in Charleston was positive.

source : cottonfarming

Major Launch For 2010

New Varieties Show Promise
     
 Major Launch For 2010

For the second consecutive year, Monsanto and Deltapine are launching new cotton varieties based on the feedback they received from farmers participating in the NPE program.

Six new varieties for 2010 were introduced at an elaborate event in Charleston, S.C., in mid-December. Although numerous varieties were planted in the NPE trials across the country, only six were chosen to be included in the 2010 lineup.

More than 13 varieties were tested by the 160 farmers who participated. The six varieties chosen were:

• DP 1048 B2RF
• DP 1050 B2RF
• DP 1028 B2RF
• DP 1034 B2RF
• DP 1032 B2RF
• DP 1044 B2RF

According to Monsanto and Delta-pine officials, the 1048 and 1050 varieties are suited to mid- and full-season regions that stretch from Georgia to south Texas.

source : cottonfarming

New Varieties Show Promise

New Varieties Show Promise
     
No matter how fast new commercial cotton seed varieties are released to the public, the one common benefit is obvious to everyone – numerous choices for producers.

That is precisely what farmers will have in 2010 with several companies increasing their portfolios. The timing couldn't be better – especially with increased cotton acres forecast for nearly every region of the Belt.

The question for producers is how much do they know about a variety? How will it fit into their operation and is it compatible with the rotation being employed on that farm?

source : cottonfarming

Tennessee planted about 300,000 acres of cotton in 2009

Weather Events Affected 2009 Cotton Crop

Bruce Kirksey
Agricenter International

Tennessee planted about 300,000 acres of cotton in 2009, and I believe most everyone planted about the same time as we did. I am always a little nervous about June-planted cotton – mainly because of our chances of receiving an early frost.

The cotton variety trials were managed for optimum yields and quality. Most of our ground here is a silt loam with pH around 6.3. We tend to go out with at least two applications of a PGR and scout weekly for cotton insects since we grow cotton with many different trait packages.

As a scientist, I always like to impress upon my clients and others reading the data to avoid looking at any field trial in isolation. Regardless of where your data comes from, look at other trials that have been conducted in your area.

source : cottonfarming

Regulatory Requirements

California Farmers Need Reliable Water Supply

Irrigation districts in that part of the county obtain water that does not have to go through the delta and thus avoids restrictions to protect endangered species. Farmers in that region are able to plan now about how to use their ground next season.

Regulatory Requirements

However, even a wet winter may not provide much added irrigation water in some regions because of Endangered Species Act requirements. Those rules and resulting court decisions require operators of state and federal water projects to reserve more water for delta smelt, salmon and other species.

Fresno County farmer and Westlands Water District spokesperson Sarah Woolf says, "The Bureau of Reclamation (that operates the CVP) has estimated that even with the heaviest rainfall, the highest numbers that we could get would be 40 percent of our water supply allocations.

source : cottonfarming

Errotabere says

California Farmers Need Reliable Water Supply
 
Errotabere says he hopes to maintain the same cropping pattern in 2010 as this past season, but, he adds, "that also includes 1,200 acres being fallowed" – a third of his ground within the Westlands Water District.

"I hope it won't be that difficult again, but we're prepared. If we have to fallow, we have to fallow," he says.

Praying For Rain

Merced County farmer Pat Borelli has about 120 acres of ground in the CVP service area. He's planted winter oats and hopes there is enough rain to get a crop without irrigation.

source : cottonfarming

After three years of pumping

California Farmers Need Reliable Water Supply
 
"After three years of pumping, the quality of that water isn't that great," says Young, who is immediate past president of the Kern County Farm Bureau.

At this time of year, he usually negotiates for bank loans and contracts to grow crops on his vacant land, where he raises tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce. But Young says it's difficult to obtain a loan or a contract when lender and processor are not certain there will be water to produce a crop. Other farmers face similar quandaries.

Crucial Time Approaches

Fresno County Farm Bureau President Dan Errotabere says he has to make decisions now regarding fall planting of crops.

source : cottonfarming

Crop Insurance Change

Increase Expected In Southeast Acres

Amanda Huber

Crop Insurance Change

A change in crop insurance would favor cotton over dryland corn production also, Ruppenicker points out.

"The form of coverage referred to as 'GRIP' has all but been totally eliminated for 2010 in the Southeast," he says. "Not so much in Georgia but in other states the coverage was such that it paid farmers to grow dryland corn when otherwise it would not have been an option."

Still, there is an additional attraction for cotton in the Southeast.

"The ability to withstand drought better than most other crops is the main reason cotton has been the staple in the Southeast for most of the past 200 years," says Ruppenicker.

source : cottonfarming

A cautious increase is better

Increase Expected In Southeast Acres

Amanda Huber

A cautious increase is better because a sizable increase would push prices down more quickly. The Southeast's growing climate tends to favor cotton.

Climate Favors Cotton

"Drought year in and year out is much more likely to occur in the Southeast than the bountiful rain experienced in 2009," Ruppenicker says. "Soybeans, like corn, are extremely susceptible to drought.

"Approximately 40 percent of Georgia's farmland is irrigated, which is significantly higher than any other Southeast state. Growing dryland corn, and even soybeans for that matter, can be extremely risky."

Stanley Culpepper, University of Georgia Extension weed scientist, reminds producers of the need to consider herbicide-resistant weeds in their production systems.


source : cottonfarming

Alternative Varieties Found

Increase Expected In Southeast Acres

Amanda Huber

Alternative Varieties Found

A concern of producers has been what variety to plant, but Wright says some of the newer varieties of cotton look good and have the potential to equal the yields of DPL 555.

Georgia producer Jimmy Webb says his acreage ratio won't change from roughly one-third peanuts, cotton and corn – a system that works well in his farm operation.

"I cut my cotton production back to a more manageable acre figure when corn prices jumped up," he says. "I had always grown some corn but not as much as I have now. I had gotten to the point of really having too many cotton acres, so it has helped me do a better job growing cotton."

Webb says he likes having corn in the rotation with cotton and peanuts, which also helps to spread out the busy times of planting and harvest.

"I am in on a co-op gin, so we keep cotton in our mix," he says. "It has been tough, but now it will be much better with prices moving up."

source : cottonfarming

Wright says that dryland corn producers

Increase Expected In Southeast Acres

Amanda Huber

Wright says that dryland corn producers have had some tough times with dry areas of Florida for the past three years, and cotton requires less fertilizer inputs than corn.

"Growers who have cotton equipment need to make payments and are set up for harvest, whereas the drying capacity for both corn and soybeans has diminished over the past decade along with fewer combines," he adds.

Alternative Varieties Found

A concern of producers has been what variety to plant, but Wright says some of the newer varieties of cotton look good and have the potential to equal the yields of DPL 555.

source : cottonfarming

Increase Expected In Southeast Acres

Increase Expected In Southeast Acres

Amanda Huber

In the Southeast, climate, soil type and rotation schemes favor cotton production. That's why cotton acres do not fluctuate as much in this area, especially in the second largest cotton production state of Georgia. In 2010, the area is again expected to hold steady on acreage or increase cautiously. That is, unless the price makes a big jump.

David Ruppenicker, executive vice president of Southern Cotton Growers, which represents thousands of cotton producers throughout the Southeast, says Georgia planted almost one million acres in 2009.

"I really don't anticipate their acres dropping off or increasing very much," he says. "However, of the other five states I work with – Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia – I see fairly significant acreage increases in 2010 because these five states cut their cotton acres substantially in the past three years.

source : cottonfarming

Red Dec (Dec 2010) Trades High

Futures Market, Rotation Positive For Cotton

Carroll Smith

"Realistically, I think it will be the end of January before we can get a pretty good idea of what farmers are thinking," Bourland says. "On the extreme positive side, we could see cotton acres in Arkansas potentially go up 10 percent."

Red Dec (Dec 2010) Trades High

Shane Stephens, vice president of Staplcotn's warehouse division in Greenwood, Miss., says many farmers note that the cotton market is getting interesting – based on current futures prices – plus they need to rotate.

"A lot of producers who haven't planted cotton in the last few years and others who have planted only a small percentage of their traditional acreage are signing up with Staplcotn to put themselves in a position to take advantage of the current futures market levels," Stephens says. "As this market has gone above 72 cents futures to as high as 78 cents futures, more farmers are pricing a percentage of their 2010 cotton.

source : cottonfarming

Futures Market, Rotation Positive For Cotton

Futures Market, Rotation Positive For Cotton

Carroll Smith


Many Mid-South producers have had grain on the brain in a big way for the past few years at the expense of cotton acres.

Although farmers barely have had time to knock the dirt off their boots from the 2009 cotton harvest to make any definite plans, talk in the Mid-South among them indicates that cotton acres should at least remain steady and possibly increase from what was planted last year.

Several factors will influence the decision-making process as the planting season draws closer.


source : cottonfarming

It Pays To Be Flexible

Is Comeback Inevitable?

Economists Across The Belt Point To Encouraging
Market Signals For 2010

Tommy Horton

It Pays To Be Flexible

Nobody can accuse Texas producer Ronnie Hopper of not being flexible when it comes to responding to the market.

Hopper has farmed for more than 35 years in Petersburg about 40 miles northeast of Lubbock. A lifelong cotton producer, Hopper and his son R.N. moved most of their 1,600 acres over to wheat and corn three years ago. At the time, it made sense because of lower cotton prices and attractive grain prices.

In 2010, the Hoppers will move back into cotton for the same reason they left the crop three years ago.

source : cottonfarming

Cotton Has A Home In Texas

Is Comeback Inevitable?

Economists Across The Belt Point To Encouraging
Market Signals For 2010

Tommy Horton

Smith came to Lubbock 25 years ago, and he's pleased at how Texas can now compete with any other region in the world in terms of cotton quality.

"I think the future looks good for cotton in Texas and particularly here in the High Plains," he says. "Even with limited irrigation, we're still making 1,000 pounds per acre in most cases. That works better than 5,000-pound grain sorghum. And, in the Lubbock area, there isn't water to support corn in most situations."

Cotton Has A Home In Texas

Smith isn't ready to project a specific number for how improved prices will affect increases in Texas cotton acreage in 2010. But he knows that the 4.9 million bale figure that the state produced in 2009 could easily increase by one million bales in 2010.

source : cottonfarming

A Resilient Industry

Is Comeback Inevitable?

Economists Across The Belt Point To Encouraging
Market Signals For 2010

Tommy Horton

 A Resilient Industry

One important fact remains clear to Adams. Nobody can accuse U.S. cotton of not being resilient and flexible. In the past eight years, Adams has seen U.S. cotton production swing from a high of 23 million bales to as low as 13 million bales. The overriding fact, however, is that average U.S. cotton yields have risen from 600 pounds per acre to nearly 850 pounds.

"When you look at the historical data, it's pretty encouraging how quality and yields have improved despite all of this uncertainty in the market," he says.

"We've really come a long way in these areas. Producing cotton with 36 staple has become almost commonplace. That's certainly significant."

source : cottonfarming

I think it remains to be seen what will happen

Is Comeback Inevitable?

Economists Across The Belt Point To Encouraging
Market Signals For 2010

Tommy Horton

"I think it remains to be seen what will happen," he says. "Would those gins reopen or will existing gins be in a position to process more cotton? As I said before, I think the infrastructure is still there for a good recovery and more production."

Anyone who has an understanding of commodity prices knows that  volatile price swings can unexpectedly  occur. Given that fact, Adams says the lessons learned in the past three years prove that producers must know how to respond to volatile market signals. That requires flexibility in all planting decisions.

Not only are those decisions affected by market signals such as the New York futures contract, but other factors must also be weighed – such as input costs. Oil prices have been as high as $130 a barrel and then dropped to $40 in a short period of time. Now, they are back to about $80.

source : cottonfarming

Is Comeback Inevitable?

Is Comeback Inevitable?

Economists Across The Belt Point To Encouraging
Market Signals For 2010

Tommy Horton

Early Market Indicators

Gary Adams has been the chief economist at the National Cotton Council since 2002 and has seen his share of economic trends in that time period. He says the market signals for cotton, corn and soybeans should've been the first indicator that cotton was moving into a more favorable position in 2010.

"If producers are looking at the futures market as their best indicator of what to expect – including the prices of next year's crop – and if they look at where those harvest-time contracts are trading, they have a situation where cotton is in a relatively more favorable position for 2010 than we've seen since 2006."

Economists like to call these price swings "adjustments," and Adams says the latest adjustment for this year is due to corn and soybean prices not being as attractive as they were between 2007 and 2009. At the same time, cotton prices have "adjusted" and strengthened.

source : cottonfarming

Although Asian populations will plateau

Reality Check

Phil Burnett

Although Asian populations will plateau, their ability to consume will no doubt increase significantly. China is still primarily a business-to-business (B2B) economy. It has 34 companies in the Fortune Global 500 list that are all B2B by nature. But as individualism steadily gains in the country, China's appetite for consumer goods will surely follow. Support by industry analysts for this assumption has been increasing. My conclusion is that it will not be "if" the Chinese consumer will make a significant impact on demand, but "when."

Any discussion of economic activity in Asia must also include India, which continues to solidify its position as one of the world's growing economic powers. Its economy is now ranked fourth by purchasing parity and annual GDP growth.

I'm closing my thoughts with a word about technology. Next to our land, it is our most valuable asset. Make sure you're using it to your advantage. We believe strongly that it is the key to lowering costs and generating leverage in any market.

source : cottonfarming

The fact is that the competition

Reality Check

Phil Burnett

The fact is that the competition for acres is intense. While prices have strengthened recently, cotton has taken some bruises the last couple of years. Nobody knows that better than the symbiotic businesses that have scaled to process the volume of cotton grown through the first seven years of this decade.

Most of us are busy figuring out how to move forward under these conditions. Although adjustments may be painful for a time, we can also rest in the knowledge that markets always prevail in the end. But American farmers are now doing what they always do when challenged. They innovate. Farmers are looking at commodity markets, costs of production, yields and returns more diligently than ever. To borrow a concept from the manufacturing sector, "continuous improvement" will be the key to survival.

As a lifelong participant and observer of the cotton industry, I am convinced that cotton will continue to be a viable, competitive choice for farmers in the United States. It is unquestionably one of the most durable crops a farmer can plant. It will perform under conditions that wilt and destroy other crops.


source : cottonfarming

An adherence to the policy of producing

Reader Says, 'SURE In A Mess'
 
• "An adherence to the policy of producing and delivering the highest quality product will be a factor."

• "At these prices, we will overproduce cotton in 2010 and be right back at 50 cents again."

• "The new economic adjustment assistance program included in the 2008 Farm Bill will have a significant impact by preserving spinning capacity and even attracting new investment to the United States."

• "The mythical advent of the $5 per bushel soybean."

No matter what factor or factors affect whether cotton's demand outlook falls into the positive range, it goes without saying that every U.S. cotton producer is hoping that it gets there in 2010. However, for this month's Web Poll, we will shift our focus from outside forces, which are sometimes uncontrollable, to a topic of which U.S. cotton producers can take advantage if they so choose.

Jay Hardwick, a Louisiana cotton producer who currently is serving as chairman of the National Cotton Council (NCC), strongly encourages other U.S. cotton producers to consider participating in the multiple conservation programs available under the 2008 Farm Bill.

Read more about these possibilities and opportunities in NCC's "Cotton's Agenda" on page 25, then cast your vote and share your thoughts on this subject in the "Comments" section.


source : cottonfarming

Reader Says, ‘SURE In A Mess’

Reader Says, 'SURE In A Mess'
 

Sometimes we can peer into the proverbial crystal ball, such as the one depicted on the front cover, and see things clearly. Other times, we may discern a trend forming in the glass, but details are still a bit fuzzy as circumstances continue to mold and shape the vision we are straining to make out.

In November, we called on our readers via the Web Poll, seeking their opinions on what factor will create a positive impact on the demand outlook for U.S. cotton in 2010. Will it be continued economic recovery domestically and globally, rain in China, a weak dollar, stock (securities) prices or, perhaps, all of the above?

Although 52 percent of the respondents say all of these factors need to be aligned to create a positive impact on the demand outlook, a respectable 29 percent believe continued economic recovery will play the largest role in keeping the U.S. cotton boll rolling next year. Rain in China and a weak dollar tied in the poll, with each bringing in seven percent of the vote, followed by stock (securities) prices with five percent.


source : cottonfarming

ACSA’s Cotton Institute Accepting Applications

Industry News
     
ACSA's Cotton Institute Accepting Applications

The American Cotton Shippers Association's International Cotton Institute is now accepting applications for the 2010 session scheduled for June 2-July 20.

This is the 16th year for the Institute, which has seen more than 650 students from 60 different countries participate in the most comprehensive residential program of its kind anywhere in the world.

Many of the graduates of this Institute have gone on to become instrumental employees and leaders in their companies, local industries and government agencies after completion of the eight-week study program. 

International companies that plan to send students to the Institute are urged to start the process of registration as soon as possible after identifying the participants.

The process of obtaining the correct visa for this program, which is detailed fully on the Institute's Web site, can be a time-consuming procedure. It is  important that the process begin as soon as acceptance has been confirmed.


source : cottonfarming

Industry News

Industry News
     
Louisiana Farmer Receives Unusual Holiday Gift

It might be difficult to gift wrap, but a Louisiana farmer, Frank Burnside of Newellton, doesn't mind. The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) gave Burnside the keys to a Roush propane-fueled Ford F-150 pickup as the winner of its Tank Tales Truck Giveaway contest held last year and gained some valuable market intelligence in the process.

From June through October, agricultural producers from around the country, submitted their Tank Tales about how they use propane in their operations. For sharing their stories, each was sent a pair of propane-branded work gloves and entered into a random drawing for the truck. The farmers enjoyed detailing their experiences, and PERC gained valuable insight into propane use in agriculture.

Propane figures prominently in the 5,000-acre operation of Franklin Plantation, the 100-year-old family farm where Burnside grows corn, soybeans, wheat, and, most of all, cotton.


source : cottonfarming

What are the concerns about the rules?

Rules Should Reflect The Law

Mark Lange

What are the concerns about the rules?

The USDA rule goes well beyond the 2008 farm law provisions. For example, the farm law does not contain the USDA-imposed requirement that all members of a farming entity make a regular, identifiable, documentable, separate and distinct contribution of active personal labor or active personal management. Despite comments from the NCC and most commodity and general farm organizations, as well as a letter cosigned by 69 representatives and 21 senators urging the Secretary to publish a final rule that more closely reflected Congressional intention, USDA rejected virtually every recommendation and is moving forward with reviewing 2010 farm plans based on the Final Rule.

In addition, the NCC filed comments with USDA expressing concerns with actions regarding the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Producers are being encouraged by USDA officials to enter into CSP contracts that do not conform to the underlying statute. The 2008 farm law clearly establishes a five-year payment limit of $200,000 per "person or legal entity" for "all contracts" entered into during any "five-year period." Without basis, USDA has instituted an overly-restrictive limit of $40,000 per year on CSP participants and a five-year limit of $200,000 per contract, regardless of the number of participants associated with the contract.

source : cottonfarming

Then, there was the nightmare

Larry McClendon's Memorable Journey

Tommy Horton

Then, there was the nightmare that occurred in the fall of 2009 when torrential rains pounded the Mid-South for most of September and October. More than half of his cotton, corn and soybean crops were damaged. By his own admission, it was the "most challenging year" he has had in 35 years of farming.

As he would later say, perseverance has a way of helping a person get through any difficult situation. Larry has had time to reflect on that historic year as NCC chairman, and he has put the memory of last fall's crop season behind him. Now he's rested and rejuvenated.

He looks ahead to something that always excites him – getting ready to plant the next cotton crop.

source : cottonfarming

Larry McClendon’s Memorable Journey

Larry McClendon's Memorable Journey
Tommy Horton


Reminiscing about memorable events in our lives can either be pleasant or painful – depending on how we remember those experiences. No matter what description is used, we are supposed to be wiser moving forward after such "character building events." Suddenly, we have insight into the future because of what we've witnessed.

If a person truly believes in that philosophy, he can appreciate how Arkansas producer-ginner Larry McClendon feels today. Not to sound overly sentimental, but he has seen it all during the past two years. It was a journey like no other, but he is glad to have had the chance to go on it.

And what did he do that was so historic or memorable? For openers, he was chairman of the National Cotton Council in 2008 and NCC board chairman in 2009. He was the point man for the cotton industry during some of the most important events in recent ag history – the 2008 Farm Bill debate and WTO negotiations, to name a couple of the more noteworthy ones.

source : cottonfarming

Going Green In Home Designs

Cotton Finds A New Use In Wall Covering

Going Green In Home Designs

Exclusively distributed by Specialty Finishes in Springfield, Neb., U.S. Cotton Wall Covering is a growing favorite among "green" home designs and has been showcased at the Street of Dreams and Parade of Homes in several major U.S. cities.

"U.S. Cotton Wall Covering offers a low carbon footprint by sourcing U.S. cotton, and it's a conscientious alternative to petroleum-based vinyl wall finishings," notes Wedegaertner.

The mixture is hand-applied and custom-mixed to match a color palette limited only by one's imagination.

"It's a very unique product and is ideal for bathrooms because it absorbs and releases excess moisture while resisting peeling, molding or fading," says Tim Bell, owner of Specialty Finishes, the U.S. company that exclusively distributes the product.

source : cottonfarming

Cotton Finds A New Use In Wall Covering

Cotton Finds A New Use In Wall Covering
     

Cotton Incorporated has a reputation around the world for conducting innovative research related to cotton, cotton production and the processing of cotton textiles.

The organization's award-winning "The Fabric of Our Lives" television advertising campaigns are credited with resurrecting U.S. consumer demand for cotton in the United States. While some of the cotton products they promote are created with program funds, some are not, but are so unique, Cotton Incorporated recognizes their potential to increase overall cotton consumption, so it assists in their promotion.

Such is the case with a new and very innovative wall covering called U.S. Cotton Wall Covering. Created from a patented mixture of natural cotton fibers and minerals in a high-density composition, the wall covering is an aesthetic and sustainable wall and ceiling surface covering for both homes and businesses.

source : cottonfarming

Sen. Lincoln To Visit Memphis

Sen. Lincoln To Visit Memphis

Tommy Horton


The program for this year's Mid-South Farm & Gin Show has received a big boost with the announcement that Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) will speak at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27, at the Memphis Cook Convention Center.

Lincoln, a long-time supporter of the U.S. cotton industry, is currently the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee and is seeking re-election in November.

She is one of several speakers who are on the program during the two-day event, which begins on Friday, Feb. 26.

Tim Price, show manager and executive vice president of the Southern Cotton Ginners Association, says Lincoln will receive a special tour of the exhibits before making an address to attendees.

"We have wanted to have her here for a long time, and the schedule worked out well this year," says Price. "Everyone knows about her commitment to agriculture, and it will be very exciting to have her at our show."

source : cottonfarmi

Strong Influence On Western Industry

Arizona Research Agronomist Feaster Receives
Genetics Award

Strong Influence On Western Industry

Another nominator, Earl Williams, president and CEO of the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association, also points out Dr. Feaster's key role in bringing Pima cottons forward as a very important part of the Western cotton industry.

"Pima cotton has become a large part of California's cotton industry with over 90 percent of the U.S. Pima production coming from California," Williams says.

Dr. Feaster, who earned a B.S. in Agricultural Education from Purdue, and his M.A. (Field Crops) and Ph.D. (Plant Breeding) from the University of Missouri, worked as a USDA breeder in Missouri, Kentucky and Maryland before arriving in Phoenix in 1956 as a USDA research agronomist.

In 1972, he became research leader of USDA's Cotton Breeding and Production Unit in Phoenix and a professor in the University of Arizona's Plant Sciences Department – positions he held until his 1994 retirement. He also produced or collaborated on 72 publications.


source : cottonfarming

Major Impact On Pima Cotton

Arizona Research Agronomist Feaster Receives
Genetics Award

Major Impact On Pima Cotton

"It is not an exaggeration to say that had it not been for Dr. Feaster and his USDA cotton breeding program, there would not be an Extra-Long Staple (ELS) cotton industry in the United States today," says one of the nominators, Jesse Curlee, president of Phoenix-based Supima, an organization dedicated to promoting the use of American Pima cotton worldwide.

"The respect and admiration that Dr. Feaster has earned from the scientific community, as well as the entire cotton supply chain – producer, ginner, shipper/merchant and textile manufacturer, is an indication of his major contribution to this industry."

Curlee says each succeeding Pima variety released has shown improvements in both yield and fiber properties. He says average yields for American Pima cotton were in the range of 400 pounds per acre when Dr. Feaster began his Phoenix-based breeding program.


source : cottonfarming

Valent Insecticide Registered

Townsend Honored As CCOY

Valent Insecticide Registered

Valent announced at the Beltwide that it had received registration for Belay insecticide as a foliar application in cotton and soybeans.

Belay is a third-generation neonicotinoid, proven to control a broad spectrum of tough pests, including aphids, plant bugs and stinkbugs.

The insecticide provides farmers highly systemic chemistry that quickly translocates through the plant. Trevor Dale, field market development specialist for Valent, says this means farmers can consistently expect longer control with Belay.

Belay offers a novel mode of action that farmers can incorporate into their resistance management programs against tough cotton and soybean pests, including the redbanded stinkbug, plant bugs and aphids. Scott Stewart, University of Tennessee professor and cotton Integrated Pest Management (IPM) specialist, says Belay showed control of both primary and secondary pest populations.


source : cottonfarming

Bayer Announces Seed Treatment

Townsend Honored As CCOY

Bayer Announces Seed Treatment

Bayer CropScience announced that it will launch a new biocontrol seed treatment in cotton, corn and soybeans in 2011. Select producers and seed companies will be able to test VOTiVO on their farms in 2010 for a firsthand look at its protective properties.

Product manager Paul Hewitt says the new seed treatment creates a living barrier around plant roots so nematodes have limited access to feed. The safe, stable formulation allows endospores of the bacteria to be applied directly to the seed. When that seed is planted, the endospores are activated and VOTiVO begins its work.

The product provides enough protection to withstand early season nematode feeding when damage potential is highest. And because it blocks nematodes rather than attacking them, VOTiVO is effective against all major plant-parasitic nematodes, including lance, lesion, needle, root-knot and soybean cyst nematodes.

source : cottonfarming

Webb Gives Conservation Update

Townsend Honored As CCOY
Webb Gives Conservation Update

Georgia producer Jimmy Webb, chairman of the NCC's Conservation Task Force, says the group is developing a strategic plan to fully educate the NCC's membership on the importance of existing conservation programs and how to take advantage of them in the future.

Webb, who told Beltwide attendees that he has enrolled in the new Conservation Stewardship Pro-gram, says he is confident the program can help producers by rewarding them for accomplishing goals in the CSP and providing incentives for enhanced practices.

Syngenta, Dow Sign Agreement

Syngenta and Dow AgroSciences made a major announcement during the Beltwide meeting.

Syngenta has now granted Dow AgroSciences licenses to a number of the VipCot cotton varieties as well as access to the company's COT102 cotton transgenic event.

Positive Factors For Cotton

Townsend Honored As CCOY
Positive Factors For Cotton

Gary Adams, the NCC's vice president for economics and policy analysis, says several factors are putting cotton in a better position for the future.

In his remarks to the Cotton Production Conference, Adams pointed to a variety of components that are helping cotton today.

They include steady mill demand that is so critical as manmade fibers continue to pose a serious threat, decrease in cotton stocks and competition for cotton acres in the United States and elsewhere in the world.

Wright Wins Specialist Award

David Wright of Florida is the 2010 Extension Cotton Specialist of the Year. Wright received the award at a special dinner at Broussard's restaurant in New Orleans.


source : cottonfarming

‘Vision 21’ Effort Underway

Townsend Honored As CCOY

'Vision 21' Effort Underway

The National Cotton Council (NCC), Cotton Incorporated and Cotton Council International (CCI) are working together on a project to address issues that affect U.S. cotton, both domestically and internationally.

Mark Lange, NCC president and CEO says, "In the United States, the group is working to get the cost down in moving cotton from the warehouse to the container and improving U.S. cotton flow to be competitive in the international market.

"We need to understand cotton's environmental footprint and deliver cotton in a cost-competitive manner," he adds.

Allen Terhaar, CCI's executive director, is coordinating demand research in China and India, which represent one-third of the population of the world.

"We want to better understand the demand side and are looking at secondary demand levels in China and India," Terhaar says. "CCI and Cotton Incorporated are engaged in ongoing consumer efforts and trying to define what creates a good environment for cotton sales."

Lange also notes that the plan includes bringing stakeholders together at the end of 2010 to hear Vision 21 progress reports and review the consumer preference data that is in the process of being collected.


source : cottonfarming

A special reception at the Roosevelt Hotel

Townsend Honored As CCOY

 A special reception at the Roosevelt Hotel was the setting for the event. Syngenta and Cotton Farming magazine are co-sponsors of the award. On hand to honor Townsend were his wife Kim, daughter PJ, son Luke, his sister and brother-in-law – Jeri and Ted Hogan from Waxahatchie, Texas – as well as numerous cotton producers and consultants who have worked with him through the years.

Townsend, a Texas native who received his bachelor's degree from Texas Tech University and a master's degree from Mississippi State University, has consulted in the Mississippi Delta for 38 years. Several of Townsend's friends spoke at the reception, including fellow consultants Roger Carter and Tucker Miller, Syngenta's Chad Steiner and producer John McKee. Cotton Farming publisher Lia Guthrie and Steiner presented Townsend with the special Syngenta jacket that goes to each year's winner.

"As I mentioned before, this is one of the real highlights of my career," Townsend says. "This award means more to me than you can possibly imagine."

source : cottonfarming

Choosing The Right Variety

Texas Producer Stays Faithful To Cotton
     
Choosing The Right Variety

An important component of the Hansens remaining profitable in the cotton business was identifying a cotton variety that fits their needs.

"I like having a choice in varieties," Hansen says. "We look for something that will perform for us on a consistent basis – one that will help us moderate our costs in these economic times."

Hansen has remained proactive throughout the years in finding what cotton varieties work best for him. He has participated in innovation trials and closely monitored the performance of different varieties from nearly all of the seed companies.

The key, Hansen says, is finding a variety that offers consistency, endurance and toughness, while limiting input costs. Without those qualities, it will be hard to survive growing cotton during the scorching hot, bone-dry summers of Texas – even under pivots.

Hansen's exhaustive search for varieties that can withstand adverse conditions led him to PhytoGen cottonseed. He dedicated all of his cotton acres to the brand last year, but divided his acres among PhytoGen brand PHY 375 WRF and PHY 440 W.

source: cottonfarming

Cotton: A Rewarding Choice

Texas Producer Stays Faithful To Cotton
     

Cotton: A Rewarding Choice

The Hansens have tried growing numerous crops throughout the years, including wheat, soybeans, milo, corn and even sesame. Cotton has always held a special place in the operation, though. That was evident during the 2009 growing season.

While many producers reduced cotton acres, the Hansens actually doubled their cotton acreage to nearly 900 acres. Dean says cotton is one of the more profitable options for his operation right now.

"Cotton seems to pencil out better for us on the financial page," he says. "We come out ahead with cotton as opposed to some other commodities. We're pushing more toward cotton to get back to a guaranteed income rate."

By using Red Wing accounting software, the Hansens found that cotton was the only crop to show a profit consistently. Many farmers who gave up on cotton have asked Hansen why they upped their cotton acreage this year. He says it's a simple matter of dollars and cents.

"We grow cotton because we know we can grow it for a moderate cost and consistently produce a profit at the end of the year," he says.

Clyde Crumley, an integrated pest management agent with the Texas AgriLife Extension Services, has worked with Hansen in the Upper Coastal Bend cotton program for several years. He notes that Dean is among a number of progressive producers in the region.

source: cottonfarming

Yield Map Says It All

Precision Ag Shows It Can Work In Southeast
By Amanda Huber

Yield Map Says It All

Barnes says yield monitors are a missed opportunity, and he is surprised that more producers aren't taking advantage of this technology. Although it requires putting the yield monitor on the combine and downloading data, the yield map is really where the rubber meets the road.

"That's the only way to see at the end of the year if what you did has worked," he says. "How else can you really verify what is working or is not working on your farm?

"With just a yield map, you can start to see areas of the field where you are losing money at the end of every year."

That is valuable information.

source: cottonfarming

Make It Variable

Precision Ag Shows It Can Work In Southeast
By Amanda Huber



Jay Holder of Holder Ag Consulting in Ashburn, Ga., says the cost of fertilizer has certainly spurred interest in precision ag and, more specifically, variable rate application.

"In the last five years, I have seen more interest in sampling by zone and even from producers who have their own trucks for variable rate applications," he says. "We are getting to where we can variable-rate nearly everything. I even know a producer who plans to use variable rate to plant his seed this year."

Holder says he also knows some producers who are planning to buy boom control technology for variable spray applications.

"I don't know the cost of the equipment, but if you run across enough acres, then it will eventually save you money," he says.
source: cottonfarming

Optimism Abounds Prior To TCGA Meeting

By Tommy Horton


The word "optimism" is tossed around a lot these days when the conversation is about U.S. cotton's prospects for the 2010 season. However, nowhere is it more obvious than in Texas, the largest cotton production state in the country.

Attractive prices are one reason for the attitude across the state. But other factors are contributing to how producers and ginners are approaching the new season. Rainfall in both the southern and northern parts of the state is helping soil moisture levels
for planting.

All of this is contributing to a favorable environment for the Texas Cotton Ginners Association as it prepares for its annual meeting and trade show in Lubbock, April 8-9, at the Civic Center.

"I think the future looks good for Texas cotton," says Tony Williams, TCGA's executive vice president. "We're seeing some positive signs in every region of the state, and there just seems to be a much stronger interest in cotton everywhere, and that is very encouraging."


source: cottonfarming

Power Source A Plus

New Textile Mill Up & Running

Power Source A Plus

Another incentive is the availability of a reliable supply of electricity at a good price.

A Zagis USA company spokesman says, "Because our equipment is state-of-the-art and controlled by programmable logic controls, the machines have frequency inverters that can regulate the fan speed, allowing us to optimize our production rate. The production and cleaning lines are controlled by air pressure, and, as the fans move down the line, monitoring this pressure and adjusting it can provide a higher rate of production.

"Any dip in power would stop our equipment and thus production," he adds. "Due to our advanced level of technology, we are reliant on a steady and reliable flow of electricity that is not typically available in countries that offer cheaper labor."

In addition to state funds and the power supply, transportation is an important factor since the yarn can easily be shipped out of the Port of Lake Charles, which is very close by.

After beginning operations last October, Lacassine I is using cotton grown in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and other states.

"Ultimately, we expect to purchase at least 25 percent of our cotton from Louisiana," notes the Zagis USA spokesman. "We buy our cotton according to leaf and color. It's also important to the mill that the cotton is mature and not overworked at the gin, so that it is not damaged or short in fiber by the time it arrives at our plant. We want to utilize a high-quality material that will be processed through state-of-the-art machinery."

source : cottonfarming

McClendon made two trips to Geneva

McClendon On The Move
"Fortunately, we made a good decision and went with Chairman Peterson's plan, and he was an advocate for cotton from that point on."

McClendon made two trips to Geneva, Switzerland, for WTO meetings. He recalls one instance where several other countries were expecting the U.S. cotton contingent to cave in and make additional concessions.

"I think these other countries were looking for a silver bullet from the United States in the hope of reaching an agreement," he says.

"There was no silver bullet. Our group held its ground and said 'no.' We said we'd go back to Congress and fight our battle there if we couldn't work it out here. Early the next day, the talks broke down, but it was because China and India refused to open their markets for additional trade."

It was another chapter in McClendon's tenure as NCC chairman in 2008 – a year he isn't likely to forget.

source : cottonfarming

A Farm Bill That Works

Nothing Seems To Discourage Larry McClendon These Days
By Tommy Horton
A Farm Bill That Works

McClendon is particularly proud of how the 2008 Farm Bill came into being. It wasn't perfect, but it turned out better than he anticipated.

As for the WTO negotiations, he believes the NCC is effectively fighting this battle, and he is confident U.S. trade representatives understand that cotton can't be the sacrificial lamb.

"I hope we've turned the corner on the WTO talks," he says. "The main thing is that we have to fight the battles in Washington every day. That's just the way it is.

"I'm incredibly optimistic about the future because of better prices, yields trending up and hopefully better weather. My message to other farmers is be persistent and keep the faith.  Many years from now we'll look back on these days and be proud of how we somehow got through them."

source : cottonfarming

An Innovative Farmer

Nothing Seems To Discourage Larry McClendon These Days
By Tommy Horton


Two of McClendon's closest friends are National Cotton Council agronomist Bill Robertson and Arkansas cotton consultant Bob Griffin. Robertson worked with McClendon for 12 years when he was the state cotton Exten-sion specialist. Griffin has been a consultant for the McClendon farm for more than 30 years.

"What I remember about Larry is that he always asked me good, tough questions," says Robertson. "And he always put his gin customers first. He was always trying to find things that would help them on the farm. I also remember that he would make sure everybody else's cotton got ginned before his own cotton was ginned. That's the kind of person he is."

Griffin recalls that McClendon always surrounded himself with good people on the farm and at the gin. He also was known for "being a perfectionist and did not ever want to settle for things being done halfway."

He says McClendon knows how to delegate responsibility, but will always be checking his fields at daybreak to make sure he knows whatever problem needs to be address-ed on each turnrow.

source : cottonfarming

Reflecting On The Past

Nothing Seems To Discourage Larry McClendon These Days
By Tommy Horton
Reflecting On The Past

Sitting in his second-floor office at the McClendon-Mann-Felton Gin Co., in Marianna, Ark., he talks about all of those experiences now with appreciation and knows that he's a better farmer and ginner for having gone through them.

Perhaps nothing was more difficult than what he dealt with during the fall of 2009. That crop year, according to McClendon, was the most difficult experience of his farming career. He lost about 30 percent of his production, and that carried over to a dropoff at the gin where 82,000 bales were handled – the lowest output since 2001.

But, like any good farmer today, McClendon says he learned from the experience and is extremely optimistic about the 2010 crop season.

"The '09 crop was difficult," he says in something of an understatement. "We planted and re-planted and didn't get the cotton into the ground until the first week of June.

"On Sept. 1, I thought it was the most impressive looking cotton I had  seen on our farm in 35 years. We were pleased to be where we were because it was a late-planted crop."

Harvesting should've begun around Sept. 10. Unfortunately, that's when everything changed. For the next six weeks, the farm received between 20 and 25 inches of rain.
source : cottonfarming

Trust Enjoys Profitable 2009 Season

     

The Texas Cotton Ginners' Trust will celebrate the completion of another profitable year at its Annual Meeting in April in Lubbock.

The Trust was formed by the Texas Cotton Ginners' Association in 1994 in response to the Texas gin industries' demand for stable, affordable workers' compensation insurance coverage.

In the 16 years since its founding, the Trust has grown to provide coverage to 78 percent of the gins in Texas as well as other agricultural businesses across the state.

The Trust's Producer Program now offers the protection of workers' compensation coverage for employees of cotton producers who gin with members of the Trust.

The Trust provides its members both hard savings in dividends paid back and "soft" savings in premiums the members never had to pay to a commercial insurance carrier because the Trust was there to provide coverage in times of a restricted market.


source : cottonfarming

Multer knows firsthand how important

Jerry Multer of Wall, Texas
 

Multer knows firsthand how important TCGA is to the state's cotton ginners. Whether it's a labor or regulatory issue, he can attest to how vital it is to have the support of an organization that has served the industry for more than 100 years.

Multer has been around cotton his entire life and was raised on a farm in Ballinger, Texas. His grandfather started a cooperative gin there, and his own father was board president of that gin. As a teenager, Jerry worked at the gin while attending high school.

He went on to graduate from Texas A&M University in 1971 and served in the Air Force before accepting a job with the Production Credit Association. After spending a couple of years in East Texas, he and his wife Donna moved back to Wall where he did some farming and kept his ties to Wall Cooperative Gin.

When the previous manager at the gin retired after 37 years, Multer was offered the job. He has never looked back and is happy to be part of a gin that has a long history dating back to 1950.


source : cottonfarming

The good news

PRESIDENT'S REPORT: Keith Mixon
     

The good news, according to Mixon, is that soil moisture levels across Texas are much improved this year – especially in the southern part of the state, which desperately needed pre-season rainfall.

Another key accomplishment during Mixon's year as president occurred in the area of labor issues. TCGA won a favorable ruling with the Labor Department over how the overtime exemption is supposed to be interpreted. After TCGA hired noted labor attorney Ann Margaret Pointer, the organization was able to present an impressive case.

"That was an important win for us," says Mixon. "In the final analysis, the ruling showed that our interpretation was correct. As far as I'm concerned, this was a home run for TCGA. We proved our case in an impressive way."

There were other memorable moments during Mixon's tenure as president. He was particularly impressed at how TCGA continues to create important alliances with other groups in an effort to achieve common goals. Along that line, he is confident that TCGA, working with other cotton organizations, can continue to protect the 2008 Farm Bill despite attacks from critics.

source : cottonfarming

PLAINS COTTON GROWERS ANNUAL MEETING

 

Plains Cotton Growers, Inc., will conduct its 52nd Annual Meeting on Friday, April 9, 2010. PCG's meeting will be held in the Banquet Hall of the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center. The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. with registration, and the program will start promptly at 9 a.m.

The primary focus of discussion at the meeting will be to provide PCG members an overview of the current political climate and potential impact it could have on the cotton industry through changes to agriculture and trade policy heading into the 2010 mid-term election cycle and the beginning of the 2012 Farm Bill development process.

One of the featured speakers at the meeting will be Washington D.C.-based agriculture correspondent Jim Wiesemeyer. This will mark his third appearance before the PCG membership, having previously addressed the organization in 2005 and 2007.

source : cottonfarming

Dennis Flowers...Sudan, Texas

When someone wins the Texas Cotton Ginners Association's "Ginner of the Year" award, it figures that a rich family tradition is involved.

Such is the case with this year's winner – Dennis Flowers, general manager of the Sudan Farmers Cooperative Gin in Sudan, Texas. His father Clyde and grandfather were also a part of the cotton business.

Now Dennis' son Garrett is part of the industry as manager of nearby Spade Cooperative Gin. Four generations of the Flowers' family have had their roots in cotton, and that suits everybody fine.

"This is definitely an emotional mo-ment for me," says Dennis. "I lost my dad (Clyde) last year, and we worked side-by-side for 25 years at the Sudan gin. I just wish he was here to see this happen."

Winning the prestigious TCGA award means a lot to Dennis. But, more importantly, he believes it is a reflection on all  employees at the gin and farm store (Farmers Cooperative Association of Sudan). In all, that would be 25 workers.



source : cottonfarming

This year shows promise

Message From Tony Williams
This year shows promise of a better cotton price, at least one that is more competitive in relation to grain prices, and hopefully this will mean more acres of cotton. But, more importantly, many areas of Texas have received good moisture and are in decent shape to produce a significant crop, but we always have to remember it cannot be counted until it is ginned and baled.

As we reflect over the past decade, the first of a new millennium, we can provide numerous positive and negative stories. Record crops in 2004, 2005 and 2007 show we can produce a lot of cotton with fewer acres. And, how about the outstanding quality of cotton we now produce in Texas? But, now we must depend upon foreign textile mills to purchase most all of our cotton, as we saw the demise of our best customer, the U.S. textile manufacturer.

Also, how is it we seem to get blamed for all the world cotton market problems by the WTO? As we look to the future, we must keep success in the forefront of what we hope to achieve. While that can be many different things, I think the overall measure of success for the Texas and U.S. cotton industry in the next decade will be if we can maintain the size of our industry.
source : cottonfarming

The never-ending challenge

Charting A New Course
By Jarral Neeper
The never-ending challenge is maintaining our focus on our members and their textile mill customers. Devoting the necessary time and energy to achieving their often widely divergent goals is not easy, but it is critical to our success.

To members and staff we have conveyed a greater sense of urgency and the need to make smart, informed and disciplined decisions in all matters. We are developing new markets and new relationships, and we are leveraging our members' and employees' immense pride and passion for what they do into visible, tangible and positive results.

I am confident we are on the right path and will continue to provide excellent returns to our growers. Following this path is not easy, but it is necessary to make sure Calcot succeeds as a first-rate, profitable and enduring business that continues to meet the needs of our farmers and their families for generations to come.


source : cottonfarming

This is due to the fact that we view difficult economic

Charting A New Course
By Jarral Neeper
This is due to the fact that we view difficult economic conditions as an opportunity to examine and analyze what we're doing, keeping the best ideas and practices and jettisoning those that no longer serve our purpose.

Calcot has a proud history and an excellent reputation. Insuring we have a successful future meant taking advantage of the downturn to study everything in our business model and see if changes were warranted to put ourselves in a position to capitalize on opportunities.

To that end, our board of directors and management developed a strategic plan to build a better company, one poised for even greater success. In essence, the plan focused on reducing costs and increasing growth, and I believe our business is set up for success in the long term.

This was neither an easy nor painless process; a cold, hard look revealed we needed to improve results in several key areas to meet the needs of today's members. But, it also shed light on potential savings in our business operations, which provide the fuel for the growth we want to achieve.


source : cottonfarming

Our ag groups in Texas

Can U.S. cotton's friends in Congress help protect important farm programs from budget cuts?


Lee Tiller
Ginner
Odem, Texas

Our ag groups in Texas are pretty optimistic that our friends in Congress will protect cotton programs, and it all starts with Sen. Lincoln in Arkansas. She means a lot to our industry, and we need for her to win re-election so that she can maintain her position as chairman of the Senate Ag Committee. Also, I have a lot of confidence in the National Cotton Council's ability to represent us and cultivate important relationships in Washington.

 
Van Murphy
Ginner
Quitman, Ga.

I'll be the first one to tell you that we always have challenges in Congress when it comes to protecting important cotton programs. This year is no different. Having said that, I am hopeful that folks like Sen. Lincoln and Sen. Chambliss will be able to lead the charge in helping us hold on to our programs. I know we're in a tough budget environment, but the cotton industry needs all of its friends to step forward and help out. Agriculture seems to always have a target on its back, and we simply can't give up. Too much is at stake right now.

source : cottonfarming

Research Projects -- A Major Priority

     
One of the most valuable, yet often under-publicized, producer-directed programs under the Cotton Research and Promotion Program umbrella is Cotton Incorporated's State Support Program (SSP).

"Each year 7.5 percent of producer assessments, which are collected by the Cotton Board, are re-directed to this grassroots program that was designed to allow each cotton-producing state to solve local production-related problems," says Dr. Pat O'Leary, senior director of agricultural research at Cotton Incorporated.

Important Funding

State Support funds are divided among the states according to that state's respective level of cotton production. Each state's program is led by a SSP committee, which sets priorities, reviews research proposals and then allocates funds.

"Producers should use their state committees as sounding boards to address what they believe are immediate cotton research and/or cotton educational needs within their region," says O'Leary.

Researchers from local land grant institutions traditionally submit projects they feel are relevant based on their experience, current production trends and/or changes in environmental growing conditions.


source : cottonfarming

The 2010 cotton season is upon us now with some areas

It's Time To Prepare For Planting
     
 
ARIZONA
Randy Norton
rnorton@ag.arizona.edu

The 2010 cotton season is upon us now with some areas of the state already placing seed in the ground. Estimates are that cotton acreage will be up in Arizona. As you approach this year's planting season, I encourage you to monitor soil temperature and weather forecasts prior to deciding to put seed in the ground.

A significant and growing portion of your crop budget is devoted to early season expenses, particularly seed, so it is important that every attempt be made to achieve a successful planting and to reduce the potential for any replanting.

Cotton seedlings are susceptible to cool temperatures that can lead to slow germination and emergence. These conditions will result in an increased incidence of seedling disease and mortality. For more weather data, go to the following Web site at www.cals.arizona.edu/azmet.

 
LOUISIANA
Don Boquet
dboquet@agcenter.lsu.edu

One thing that has become clear at the production meetings this winter is the great interest in minimizing input costs for cotton production. Most producers seem to think that reducing costs is critical to maintain or increase acreage. How to go about cost reduction is the question. Any limitation of inputs could reduce yield, and if the yield reduction is excessive, net profits would decrease.


source : cottonfarming