Cotton

Cotton Prices Rally, But Reality is Growers Are Still Chasing Break-Even for 2026

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 19:23:54 GMT

Cotton futures pushed to contract highs this week, giving producers a much-needed lift after a prolonged stretch of difficult market conditions. While the rally has sparked renewed attention across the cotton belt, the underlying drivers reflect a complex mix of market positioning, global uncertainty and ongoing demand concerns.

The price momentum is offering a glimmer of hope as many cotton farmers have faced three to four years of below break-even prices,
which has pushed farmers, and the entire cotton industry, to a breaking point.

Darren Hudson, associate dean at Texas Tech University and director of the International Center for Agricultural Competitiveness, says the recent strength in cotton is less about a dramatic change in fundamentals and more about how traders are repositioning in the market. After an extended period of bearish sentiment, that shift alone has been enough to generate upward momentum in prices.

“Managed money has been heavily short in cotton,” Hudson says. “What we’re seeing is those traders reducing their net short positions, and that’s creating buying pressure as they come out of those positions.”

December cotton contract

(AgWeb)

That unwinding of short positions has injected energy into the market at a time when outside influences are also shaping trader psychology. While some participants point to rising crude oil prices as a supportive factor, Hudson says that connection is often overstated and rooted more in perception than reality. Even so, sentiment can still influence short-term price movement, particularly when markets are already looking for a reason to turn higher.

“There’s always this sentiment that when oil prices go up, cotton prices go up,” Hudson says. “That’s kind of an old wives’ tale. Polyester is still really cheap, so it would take a large and sustained increase in oil prices to really shift demand in a meaningful way.”

Global Supply Questions Add Support

Beyond trader activity, there are also developing global supply considerations that are adding another layer of uncertainty, according to Hudson. South America, particularly Brazil, remains a key player in the cotton market, but questions are emerging about this year’s crop. Late planting of the second crop has shortened the growing season, which could affect yields, even if total production remains relatively solid.

“You do have some rumblings out of South America,” Hudson says. “The crop is probably a little smaller than in past years, and that late planting shortens the season for cotton more than other crops.”

Even when Brazil produces a large crop, Hudson says infrastructure limitations continue to play a role in how quickly that cotton reaches the global market. The country’s ability to gin and move cotton efficiently has not kept pace with production growth, creating timing issues that can influence global supply availability.

“They basically gin cotton year-round,” Hudson says. “They just don’t have the capacity yet to process everything quickly, so there are always questions about timing and when that cotton becomes available for shipment.”

Demand Still Lags Expectations

Despite these supportive elements, demand remains a concern and continues to cap how far the rally can realistically go. Export sales and shipments from the U.S. are lagging behind expectations, which limits the bullish case from a fundamental standpoint.

“We’re behind on export sales and shipments,” Hudson says. “That’s not bullish by any stretch of the imagination.”

At the same time, the cotton market operates differently than grains when it comes to available supplies. With relatively tight stocks, even modest changes in demand can have an outsized impact on price direction. That dynamic is particularly important as traders watch for potential buying activity from key importers.

“We don’t have much wiggle room,” Hudson says. “If someone comes in and commits to buying a million bales, that’s going to move the market because we don’t have a lot of excess supply sitting around.”

China’s Role Still Matters at the Margin

That sensitivity to demand helps explain why ongoing trade discussions with China are being closely monitored. While China is no longer the dominant buyer of U.S. cotton, any incremental purchases still matter at the margin and can quickly shift market sentiment.

“China is still buying some U.S. cotton, but it’s not the largest buyer anymore,” Hudson says. “Places like Vietnam and Bangladesh have taken on a bigger role.”

China is reportedly signaling openness to buying more American farm products , even as broader geopolitical tensions remain high. Reports say President Donald Trump and China President Xi Jinping held what they described as “remarkably stable” talks over the weekend in Paris, with agriculture emerging as a key topic. But what caught the cotton market’s attention is the fact China is reportedly considering increasing purchases of U.S. goods such as beef, poultry and other crops, while remaining committed to major soybean imports in the years ahead. That helped fuel the cotton market.

Hudson says it’s important to remember cotton reacts differently than soybeans to trade headlines because of that diversified demand base. Negative news tends to have a muted impact, while positive developments can generate a stronger price response.

“If China comes in and buys additional cotton, that’s new demand,” Hudson says. “That’s something the market has to react to, and it can push prices higher pretty quickly.”

Reality is Profitability Remains Out of Reach

While the recent rally has improved sentiment, it has not yet translated into profitability for most producers. Years of financial losses, combined with rising input costs, have left many operations in a precarious position heading into another growing season.

Hudson says the reality on the farm is that current price levels still fall short of what producers need to break even, especially when factoring in basis and total production costs. That gap continues to influence planting decisions and long-term outlooks for the industry.

“Break-even is probably somewhere between 78 and 83 cents,” Hudson says. “When you back off basis, even 76- or 77-cent futures only gets you to about a 73-cent farm price.”

That margin pressure is compounded by tightening credit conditions, as lenders become more cautious after multiple years of losses in the sector. Producers are increasingly focused on simply maintaining operations rather than building equity.

“A lot of producers have been hit with several bad years,” Hudson says. “Banks are getting stingy, and they really need that 80-cent range to have a chance to break even.”

Even with weaker grain prices, cotton has not yet reached a level that would encourage widespread acreage shifts. According to the National Cotton Council’s (NCC) Planting Intentions Survey, U.S. cotton producers intend to plant 9.0 million cotton acres this spring, a 3.2% decline from 2025, with a nearly 21% drop in the Mid-South. Input costs, particularly fertilizer and fuel, remain elevated, limiting flexibility for producers evaluating cropping decisions.

“There’s just not a lot of incentive to move acres into cotton right now,” Hudson says. “The price just isn’t high enough, especially with input costs where they are.”

Long-Term Pressure from Synthetics

Looking longer term, Hudson says the industry faces a structural challenge that extends beyond short-term price movements: competition from synthetic fibers. As global textile demand continues to evolve, cotton has steadily lost market share to cheaper alternatives like polyester.

“Synthetic demand continues to erode cotton’s share globally,” Hudson says.

He says one of the key lessons for the cotton industry is recognizing where purchasing decisions are actually made. While past marketing efforts focused heavily on consumers, Hudson says the real influence lies with brands and retailers, who determine fiber content long before products reach store shelves.

“Consumers don’t make that choice,” Hudson says. “Brands and retailers decide the fiber mix months before that product ever shows up in a store.”

That shift in strategy is now being reflected in industry efforts to engage more directly with manufacturers and apparel companies, with the goal of increasing cotton usage at the production level rather than relying on consumer preference alone.

Cautious Optimism Ahead

Despite the ongoing challenges, Hudson says there is cautious optimism as the market shows signs of life. The recent rally, while still fragile, provides an opportunity for producers to manage risk if prices continue to improve.

“If we can get back into that 75- to 78-cent range, producers should start looking at locking some of that in,” Hudson says. “It may not build equity, but it can help cover costs and keep things moving.”

For now, the cotton market remains in a delicate balance. Prices are supported by shifting market dynamics, but still weighed down by structural and economic pressures that will take time to resolve. But if cotton prices can at least reach break-even for this year, it could help save a industry that seems to be drowning in headwinds.

Cotton Acres Projected to Slide Again in 2026 as Economic Pressures Mount

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 21:02:53 GMT

The U.S. cotton industry is bracing for another year of contraction as a “perfect storm” of high production costs, sluggish global demand, and stiff competition from alternative crops pushes producers to rethink their acreage.

According to the National Cotton Council’s (NCC) 45th Annual Early Season Planting Intentions Survey , U.S. cotton producers intend to plant 9.0 million cotton acres this spring, a 3.2% decline from 2025. While a 3% dip might seem modest in isolation, it follows a massive 17% reduction in acreage last year, signaling a sustained and sobering period of tough economic times for the industry.

And considering cotton producers lost, on average, more than $300 per acre last year, another year of declining acreage comes as little surprise to those in the industry, as some fear if the economist situation doesn’t change for cotton, more producers could exit farming in 2026.

The Economic Squeeze: Why the Shift?

In a recent interview on AgriTalk with host Chip Flory, NCC President and CEO Dr. Gary Adams highlighted the mounting pressure on farm balance sheets.

“Times are tough,” Adams says. “Prices have been declining and costs of production have continued to stay at high levels. It really is starting to mount up on producers in terms of the balance sheet for their farming operations.”

The survey reflects a strategic shift across the Cotton Belt. With cotton prices struggling to compete with the current markets for corn and soybeans, many growers are opting for crops with lower overhead.

“In a lot of cases, they’re looking at soybeans as an alternative, in part because of its lower cost of production than what you see in cotton,” Adams notes. This “flight to safety” is a direct response to the high-risk, high-reward nature of cotton in an era of volatile input prices.

Farmers Are Walking Away From Cotton

For Charles Williams, a farmer in Crawfordsville, Ark., he’s seen what multiple years of losses can do to an industry. Cotton is a cornerstone crop in his area, with the infrastructure reliant upon that single crop. But growing cotton also comes with specialized, expensive equipment that’s become almost too costly to own, especially with today’s cotton prices.

“We’ll continue to plant some cotton, at least as much as we did last year,” he says. “Our production last year is half of what it historically is, so we’ll be 50% to 60%, maybe 65% of what we historically plant with cotton,” he says.

Because these farmers have cotton equipment to pay for, equipment that can only do one thing, which is pick cotton, walking away isn’t an easy choice. Williams also is an owner of a gin. So, he says he’s only planting enough cotton to justify the equipment and the gin, but not any more than that. Why? He simply can’t afford to.

Inside the Survey: A Coast-to-Coast Breakdown of 2026 Intentions

The NCC’s annual survey, a massive data-collection effort mailed to producers across the 17-state Cotton Belt in January, provides a granular look at how farmers are shifting their strategies. And when you break it down by region, it shows where the most severe economic pressures could be.

Mid-South: The Sharpest Decline

The Mid-South is bracing for the most dramatic shift, with total intentions down 20.6% to 1.2 million acres.

Arkansas & Missouri: These states are seeing the steepest cuts, with Arkansas down 30.3% and Missouri down 25.0%.
The Outlier: Louisiana stands against the trend, with growers expecting to plant 17.1% more cotton.

Southeast: A Broad Pullback

Respondents in the Southeast indicated a 4.9% decline in total acreage, falling to 1.6 million acres, with more of a shift toward corn and soybeans.

Georgia: Growers expect to reduce acreage by 3.6% to 805,000 acres—a historic low. This marks only the fourth time in 30 years that Georgia has dipped below the 1.1-million-acre threshold.
Significant Drops: Virginia leads the decline at 17.9%, followed by South Carolina (10.5%) and North Carolina (6.0%).

Southwest: A Patchwork of Growth

Bucking the national trend, Southwest growers intend to plant 1.6% more cotton.

Kansas & Oklahoma: Kansas is looking at a 9.6% increase at the expense of wheat and soybeans, while Oklahoma is charging ahead with a 15.7% increase.
Texas: The nation’s largest producer remains relatively flat with a 0.4% increase. However, internal shifts are happening: West Texas is reporting a slight uptick, while the Blacklands region intends to pivot toward sorghum.

The West: Upland Down, ELS Up

In the West, the story is a tale of two cottons. While Upland cotton acreage is expected to decline by 7.2%, with New Mexico seeing a sharp 17.6% drop. Extra Long Staple (ELS) cotton is seeing a resurgence.

Looking Ahead: A New Safety Net With Long-Term Gains vs. Short-Term Pain

Despite the projected acreage drop, Adams points to several reasons for long-term optimism rooted in the latest Farm Bill provisions. The industry is just beginning to see the “heavy lifting” done by recent legislative wins, though the timing of the relief remains a challenge for growers facing immediate bills.

Key improvements to the safety net, according to Adams, include:

Reference Price Hikes: A 14% increase in reference prices for seed cotton under Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) programs.
Enhanced Insurance: Significant improvements to the Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO), including an increase in the premium subsidy to 80%.
Program Synergy: For the first time, growers can utilize these area-wide insurance products alongside PLC enrollment, providing a multi-layered defense against market drops.

“The combination of those two programs for 2026 and beyond will give growers better risk management, better price support, and a better safety net under them,” Adams explains.

However, there is a catch: the lag in payment distribution. Growers must navigate the 2026 planting season and its associated expenses before the support from the 2025 crop arrives this October.

Reclaiming the Market: “Plant, Not Plastic”

To combat the acreage slide and sagging prices, the NCC is aggressively pursuing new legislative and promotional avenues to bolster domestic and global demand.

The first is the “Buy American Cotton Act,” a proposal to offer tax credits to brands and retailers that document the use of U.S.-grown cotton.

“We purchase roughly 20 million bale equivalents of cotton textile products... but only about 4 million bales of that is actually U.S. cotton,” Adams says. The act aims to incentivize “dirt to shirt” production within the U.S., potentially reshoring a textile industry that has largely moved overseas.

The industry is also leaning into the sustainability movement with its “Plant, Not Plastic” campaign. This initiative targets the growing consumer concern over microplastics found in synthetic fibers like polyester.

“Cotton is a healthy alternative,” Adams says. He noted that the industry’s message is gaining traction at the highest levels, even reaching the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) commission, which recently highlighted the need for more study on the health impacts of synthetic microfibers.

Looking Ahead: The Path to Recovery for Cotton

While the 2026 outlook remains cautious, the industry is betting on a combination of legislative support and consumer education to turn the tide. By focusing on “nearshoring” opportunities in the Western Hemisphere and emphasizing cotton’s natural advantages over synthetics, the NCC hopes to create a more resilient market for the years to come.

The goal is to build demand at hone while changing behavior of brands and retailers. If they start using U.S. cotton instead of polyester or cotton from another country, there is hope for the future of cotton demand.

Unlock Savings and Boost Yields: Why Post-Harvest Soil Testing is Crucial for Cotton Growers

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 19:35:34 GMT

Whether you’ve finished cotton harvest or have more acres to strip or pick, it’s not too early to schedule soil testing. And with fertilizer prices still near the top of input costs, soil fertility measurement may lower production costs without sacrificing yield or quality.

Crop specialists see continued benefits of soil testing about once a year to help determine nutrients in the ground and how much supplemental nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium is needed to generate peak cotton performance.

“We try to encourage growers to use this time of the year for soil testing,” says Ben McKnight, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension cotton specialist, College Station. “There’s a lot of good data across the Cotton Belt that illustrates how we can identify surplus nitrogen and use that data to credit that toward the next year’s N requirements.”

McKnight, who works with growers in central and southeastern Texas, notes those areas had average to above-average production.

“We caught good rain, which produced good yields, especially in dryland fields. Fiber also looks good,” he tells AgFax.

Growers in a corn-cotton rotation also had good corn yields.

“In those areas, the N demands for corn and cotton are likely quite different,” he says. “If producers are coming out of corn in a drier year with plans for cotton next year, they can be surprised at how much N is still in the soil. There may be an ample amount in the soil, meaning much lower N applications are needed, depending on goals for yield.”

Knowing how much N, P and K to apply can save on input costs while producing nice yields like these.

(OSU’s Jennifer Dudak)

Relief for Tight Budgets

The University of Arkansas Extension cotton enterprise budget shows little relief for input costs in 2026. But soil testing could identify ways to reduce costs.

For its furrow irrigated cotton budget, Arkansas Extension estimates these fertilizer-operating expenses: urea at about $77 per acre; phosphate at about $40 per acre; and potash at $22 per acre. That’s about $140 per acre, excluding application costs. If a soil test indicates there is an excess of any of these nutrients, costs can be cut substantially.

“With the way commodity prices are looking and other hardships faced by growers, we need to use every technology we have for grid soil sampling,” says Zachary Treadway, Arkansas Extension cotton agronomist, Newport. “Growers also need to use precision maps and other precision agriculture that can help save them a lot of money.”

Treadway says many Arkansas growers work with crop consultants.

“They have been pulling soil samples for the last few weeks,” he says. “Our soil types are across the board; more clay toward the Mississippi River, to sandier soil in cotton-peanut ground. Our growers are forward thinkers and depend heavily on their consultant/fertility guys.”

Soil types are just as varied in the regions covered by McKnight.

“In the Brazos Bottom, soils may range from clay in one area, then sandy loam a few miles up the road where they’re growing watermelons,” he says. As for P and K, he adds that “growers may have subsoil that may contain much potassium, but you never know until you do a soil test.”

He points out that for cotton, potassium has nearly an equivalent plant requirement as nitrogen for yield goals.

“Go ahead and get potassium and phosphorus applied in the fall or winter for better results,” McKnight says, noting that a deeper test-probe depth can add more information on soil nutrients.

“In most cases, you’re only going to be as productive as your limiting factor. We often just measure for the major nutrients. But we should also take micronutrient analysis every few years. Growers may have all the N, P and K they need, but by relieving any micronutrient deficiency, they can help limit yield loss.”

He recommends that, if possible, growers should use an 18-inch to 2-foot test probe to better analyze fields for major and micronutrients.

“This can help further identify soil nutrients,” he says. “If there’s deeper N that isn’t detected, producers can end up paying more for unneeded fertilizer, and more for Pix or defoliation due to extra plant growth in the end.”

Soil Health Indicators

The Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, Oklahoma, defines soil health as “the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital, living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals and humans.” It lists various soil health indicators that are typical of good-producing ground.

A crucial indicator is whether a field has “biologically active soils,” with the presence of earthworms, earthworm excrement, dung beetles or evidence of their activity. Earthworms create burrows through the soil profile, which enables water to move down and creates channels for roots. Noble scientists add that earthworm excrement helps increase nutrient cycling because, pound-for-pound, they contain significant amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

No-till and minimum-till production helps regenerate soils with more organic matter and compost. Better soil usually helps growers produce better yields and quality. Soil tests help growers gain better knowledge of their soil health.

Cotton Bolls Are Opening, Harvest Aids On Deck

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 17:01:47 GMT

Temperatures in the 80s and 90s are welcomed this week across West Texas and the Texas Panhandle, as growers seek the “open fall” that helps finish the cotton crop. Hot temperatures and a few storms are forecast in central Texas. Oklahoma and Kansas are also enjoying favorable growing conditions.

The forecast for the Mid-South is similar, with the Memphis and Little Rock areas projected to see clearing skies after several days of rain. A few showers are expected to yield to sunny skies in the Jackson, Miss., and Delta regions further south.

Of course, forecasts can change, but hopefully not enough to slow crop maturity. On Sept. 14, USDA reported bolls opening nationwide were at 50%. That increased to 60% this past Monday, Sept. 21. Key cotton state boll openings included:

70% in Alabama
79% in Arkansas
76% in Georgia
22% in Kansas
89% in Louisiana
75% in Mississippi
71% in Missouri
57% in Oklahoma
77% in Tennessee
53% in Texas

Tennessee cotton started slowly due to the wet spring. “We had good potential after the rain, but the faucet cut off in the summer,” says Tyson Raper, University of Tennessee Extension cotton specialist in Jackson, noting the state’s cotton acres are down. “The early cotton looks good, but the later stuff is rough due to drought. About 80% of the early bolls are open. The later cotton bolls are approaching 60%. We’re barely into harvest. Yields should approach 900 pounds per acre.”

Drip-irrigated field in Hockley County, Texas, should see defoliation in early October.

(Kerry Siders)

The recent rain is forcing a more aggressive approach to defoliation. “The concern now is for regrowth,” Raper says. “Much residual fertilizer wasn’t taken up by plants in the summer dry conditions. It’s now being absorbed after the rain. We may need higher rates of Folex. As we see more regrowth, we’ll likely need a second shot.”

In the South Plains, Kerry Siders, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension IPM agent, Cochran, Hockley and Lamb counties, says it will likely be Oct. 20 before cotton strippers hit the fields. “Harvest aids will go out in early October on irrigated fields,” he says. “If they’re applied on Oct. 3, it will take 10 to 14 days before fields are ready to strip. Some dryland fields that receive a shot of paraquat could see harvest start earlier.”

The forecast for the South Plains-Panhandle region calls for temperatures in the high 70s and low 80s for the next few weeks. “We don’t see much of a forecast for lower temperatures,” Siders says, adding application of a boll opener, such as Ethephon, should help get plants ready for harvest.

“Remember, the Ethephon label requires the product come in contact with the boll for it to open,” he stresses. “Just getting it sprayed on top of the plant isn’t enough. Coverage is the key. We recommend a quart of Ethephon mixed with 10 to 15 gallons of water per acre.”

He projects strong yields if the weather continues to cooperate. “We’re seeing good cotton,” he says. “It’s still near the range of 9 nodes above cracked bolls NACB. At that rate, plants need to open another 4 to 5 nodes on their own. Irrigated fields could yield in the 3.5-bale range,” he says. “Some dryland fields could hit 200 pounds per acre.”

In central Texas, Tyler Mays, AgriLife Extension IPM Agent, also recommends a solid defoliation program: “We’re in the middle of harvest, but some late-planted fields are getting ready for defoliation. With the cooler weather, Folex or Finish 6 are good replacements for Ethephon.”

Southern Texas Blacklands yields are above average, he says, with dryland yields ranging from “2 bales per acre to as high as 4 bales. Our average yield is 1 to 1.5 bales.”

Jostling with Jassid

As Georgia growers begin harvest, the “catastrophic” jassid leafhopper is on their radars, says Taylor Sills, Georgia Cotton Commission executive director in Perry. “Georgia is ground zero for the new insect threat. Some acres have been severely affected by it,” he says.

“Bidrin has been the pesticide of choice for jassid control, but Carbine is also being used. As an industry, we have a lot to learn about this insect.”

Meanwhile, he says only a small percentage of Georgia cotton has been harvested. Maturity varies, as some acres were planted after June 1. “In far northern Georgia, growers are hoping for a late fall and winter,” Sills says. “Overall, we could have an above-average crop, but there’s a long way to go.”

Ben McKnight, AgriLife Extension cotton specialist in College Station, says no jassid leafhopper damage has been reported in Texas. However, large retailers are being monitored by the Texas Department of Agriculture to determine if imported ornamental plants that were the source of jassid are contaminated with the insect.

McKnight says harvest in the Upper Gulf Coast “is progressing nicely. Yields are slightly above average.”

Record Prevent Plant Acres Cause Devastation for Southern Farmers

Fri, 30 May 2025 19:11:24 GMT

Farm Journal first reported on the somber situation in the South in April . The financial pain of growing cotton this year created a bleak outlook. At that time, National Cotton Council’s Gary Adams said, “We’ve gone beyond just losing money now that we’re to the point of losing the farm.”

Since then, the situation has grown even worse for farmers in the mid-South. It’s turned into a nightmare, with relentless rains causing devastation and preventing farmers from planting crops this year.

Wettest Spring in 133 Years

“It’s been a challenge,” says Franklin Fogleman, who farms in Marion, Ark., just across the bridge from Memphis, Tenn. “Not only have we been facing economic challenges, but we seem to have faced rain since the 1st of April that is unprecedented.”

The wettest spring in 133 years is wreaking havoc on farm fields, after what farmers thought was a strong and early start to planting.

“We got off to a very good start. The last 10 days or so of March, we had a very good run. We were in a very good position with an early start to the crop. It was dry, crops were coming up and looked good,” he says. “We received a rain around the 1st of April that wound up totaling 13" over a couple of days. We lost a substantial amount of crop at that time to flooding.”

That water stuck around for two to three weeks. They got back in the field just before Easter, before getting rained out again for a month.

“Then we received approximately 5" of rain over four days, and we’re back to having about 1,000 acres of the farm underwater that was planted and had small crops that probably won’t survive,” Fogleman says.

Farming Legacies on the Line

Fogleman’s family has been farming here since 1849. And this year, not only is it the acres he won’t be able to plant, but also the growing number of acres that need to be replanted. He’s running out of time to do both.

“We probably have 1,500 acres of rice, and I’m down to about 200 acres of beans to plant for the first time. I will probably have another 700 — maybe 800 — acres of things to replant again,” he says. “But the thing that’s tricky about that math is the roughly 1,500 acres of rice that we haven’t gotten planted, we won’t plant a crop on.”

Fogleman says once the water finally recedes on those acres — which could take days — it’s too late to plant rice. They’ve looked into planting soybeans instead, but the economics don’t support it.

“The window has basically closed on us in the last couple of days,” he says.

But the thing that’s tricky about that math is the roughly 1,500 acres of rice that we haven’t gotten planted, we won’t plant a crop on.

Franklin Fogleman, Arkansas

Farmers Face Historic Prevent Plant Acreage Numbers

That’s the reality for farmers from southern Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi.

“The weather has just been terrible,” says Robert Agostinelli, who farms in Coahoma and Quitman Counties in Mississippi. ”We’ve attempted to plant four or five times, and every time we got rain within 24 hours. So, out of about 2,300 acres of cotton, we got about 550 acres planted. That’s all.”

Just 24% of his crop. That’s all this Mississippi farmer got planted this year, which marks a first.

“This has never happened before. I’ve been farming for 41 years, and this has never happened. It was just unheard of,” he says.

You can hear the devastation in farmers’ voices. What’s even more gut wrenching is Agostinelli took out 60% crop insurance coverage with ECO on top, but the ECO doesn’t cover prevent plant.

“Looking back on it, if we would have thought this was a possibility, we probably would have taken out different insurance or something,” he adds.

This has never happened before. I’ve been farming for 41 years, and this has never happened. It was just unheard of.

Robert Agostinelli, Mississippi

That’s the story for farmer after farmer. Crop insurance will help, but it’s not even coming close to making them whole.

“It helps, it’s better than not having it. But the truth is it’s like putting a band-aid somewhere that you need stitches. It’s not enough, it just enough to survive, if that,” Fogleman says.

“Farmers Are Hurting... They’re Hurting Bad”

Andy Graves, a crop consultant in Clarksdale, Miss., adds, “These guys are hurting. They’re hurting bad, and this isn’t what we needed.”

Graves owns Graves Agronomy Service. Even through this rain, he’s up early walking fields and doesn’t like what he sees: flooded out fields, suffocated crops that are barely hanging on and fields overgrown with weeds.

“I don’t know what’s fixing to happen with what’s going on up here right now because it’s as close to disaster as I’ve ever seen on the cotton side, anyway,” Graves says.

We needed a home run, and we’re not going to get it.

Andy Graves, Mississippi

Graves is in the middle of cotton country. It’s a big cotton area with seven gins within 30 miles. Even before the wet weather hit, cotton was facing a mountain of challenges, the main one being price.

“It’s not good. It is more of disbelief, honestly,” Graves says. “I get up every day, and I can’t believe this has happened. We’ve had two record crop years the past two years. And most everybody has not shown a profit, so it was bleak. It was a really rough winter trying to talk to some people about what we’re going to do this year. We needed a home run and we’re not going to get it.”

Today, about 65% of the cotton in Graves’ area is planted.

“A big majority of that just went in and got 6" of rain behind it,” Graves says. “I’m hoping for the best, but it’s cold and wet right now. I’ve never seen a spring like this.”

Cotton Isn’t the Only Crop Swamped By Heavy Rains and Low Prices

It’s not just cotton that farmers are battling. Soybeans are also struggling in the ground, and the corn is wind whipped or battered by hail and sand.

“We’ve had everything. It’s a mess,” Graves says.

Even if the rain stops, the other battle for farmers in the area is the weeds that are already too tall to effectively control.

“We’re going to throw everything we can at it and do the best we can to knock it back, but losing dicamba is going to hurt in the soybean crop. A lot of my cotton up here is Enlist cotton, so I still do have the Enlist technology. We can probably clean a lot of this up with combinations of Liberty, Roundup and Enlist, but it’s going to cost a fortune to do this.”

Farmers on the Brink of Going Under

Graves has been a crop consultant for nearly 30 years. He says without any disaster aid or help, he doesn’t know if some of these Mississippi farmers will survive.

“We have some really strong farmers up here, really strong,” Graves says. “They got that way because they farm very efficient, very smart and don’t make any dumb moves. We’ve had two record yields up here with cotton, soybeans and corn the last couple of years, but they’re financial losses. Now the prices are lower this year, and we’re faced with what we got now with weather. So, I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Devastation Hits Infrastructure and Industries Farming Supports

The devastation isn’t just impacting farms. It’s the infrastructure and industries farming supports.

“It rolls downhill,” Graves says. “I mean, if they’re out of business, I’m out of the business. We’ve got gins, airports, chemical applicators — we have a community. It’s a tough deal to be looking at right now, and it’s not just here. I’ve talked to some people in Arkansas all the way up to Missouri in the past week. It’s all over the place.”

“This is Worse Than a Drought”

Farmers know how emotionally and mentally challenging it can be to cope with a drought. But with this relentless rain this spring, farmers can’t even get their crops in the ground, and that makes it worse than dealing with drought.

“In our area of the Delta, we have irrigation. So, when it’s dry, we can cure that problem,” Fogleman says. “It can be an expensive solution, but it is a solution that’s better than nothing. When your crops are underwater, when it is too wet to get into fields to fertilize or when it’s too wet get into the fields to spray, there’s really nothing that you can do.”

Agostinelli says for cotton, it was in the red any way he looked at it this year.

“This is the kicker. The price is so low that if we farmed it, we will lose even more money. That’s how bad it is,” he says. “It’s very stressful and if there’s no assistance coming, I can just see a lot of farmers going out this year.”

Fogleman adds, “Farmers are pretty resilient and they have a lot of fight, but I have to admit, as I talk to my friends, as I talk my neighbors, these are trying times and people are feeling the impacts of it.”

This is the kicker. The price is so low that if we farmed it, we will lose even more money. That’s how bad it is. It’s very stressful and if there’s no assistance coming, I can just see a lot of farmers going out this year.

Robert Agostinelli, Mississippi

Your Next Read: Cotton Farmers Describe Somber Situation: ‘We’ve Gone Beyond Losing Money to Now Losing the Farm’

Cotton Acres Expected to Sink to 10-Year Low in 2025

Thu, 22 May 2025 16:29:16 GMT

The total number of cotton acres planted this year is expected to sink to a 10-year low, according to National Cotton Council (NCC) and USDA reports.

An NCC survey estimates 9.6 million acres will be planted this year, while the most recent USDA Prospective Plantings report estimates 9.87 million acres.

Those numbers indicate planted cotton acreage would be at its lowest level since 2015, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service’s Prospective Plantings report released March 31, 2025.

In addition, these numbers represent an approximate decline of 14% to 15% from the 2024 planting season.

States Where Cotton Acres Are In Decline
The Southwest, which includes Texas, continues to hold the largest share of total U.S. cotton acreage but also faces the largest acreage decline compared with its 3-year average, the USDA reported in a news release on Wednesday.

Farmers in Texas are expected to plant nearly 1 million fewer acres of cotton in 2025 compared with its 2022-24 average, as lower cotton prices have encouraged acres to shift into corn and sorghum.

In the Southeast, cotton area is also expected to decline in response to weak cotton prices, with acreage shifting to other crops, including corn and peanuts, the release said. Georgia, the largest producing state in the Southeast, accounts for 39% of the region’s decline, USDA noted.

The Delta region is likewise expected to see cotton acreage fall because of an anticipated increase in corn acreage.

The West, which has the least acreage of the four main cotton-producing regions, is reporting the smallest year-to-year change, with improved water availability and favorable crop rotation opportunities supporting an increase in plantings in Arizona.

Some exceptions to the overall reduction trend do exist, with Arizona, Virginia, and Kansas all expected to plant more cotton than their respective 3-year averages, as farmers adjust planting decisions to their own relative prices, weather, and agronomic conditions.

The chart below is drawn from the April 2025 Cotton and Wool Outlook, published by the USDA Economic Research Service.

Lower cotton acres could signal that corn acres will pick up the slack this year.

(USDA ERS)

Cotton Farmers Describe Somber Situation: 'We've Gone Beyond Losing Money to Now Losing the Farm'

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 17:49:03 GMT

In many areas of the South, cotton is king. It’s a dependable crop, and in turn, it’s made farmers loyal to what they grow. But with cotton prices falling below farmers’ breakeven, that crop is causing financial pain to even grow.

“I’ve been farming for 48 years, and I can’t remember anything in a year that’s been as challenging as the way it’s been the last couple of years,” says Franz Rowland, who grows cotton in Boston, Ga.

The south Georgia farmer says cheap cotton prices are one problem, and skyrocketing input costs are another.

“We’re going to plant cotton and don’t even have a clue if we’re going to get our money back,” he says. “There’s no farm bill to support us, and the reference price is so low that it’s not anything that we can depend on. So, we’re going to put several million dollars in the ground and don’t even know if we’re going to get it back.”

Cotton is a high input crop that requires a heavy dose of fertilizer and intensive pest and weed management. But in addition to that, today’s cotton farmers are dealing with the rising cost of equipment.

“It used to be a cost, but it wasn’t a terribly high cost. And today, one of the highest costs we have is machinery,” Rowland says. “Cotton pickers are over $1 million. And nobody makes a cotton picker but John Deere. So, we don’t have a choice.”

The Death of Agriculture in West Texas?
It’s a situation that’s not unique to just south Georgia, though. Cotton farmers across the entire U.S. are grappling with the same uneasiness of growing cotton in 2025. In West Texas, it’s especially hard.

The West Texas area is critical for cotton production. USDA shows Texas growers produce 42% of the country’s cotton . The area surrounding Lubbock, Texas, is known as the largest cotton patch in the U.S. And right now, nearly 68% of Texas is dealing with some level of drought.

The current U.S. Drought Monitor shows nearly 68% of Texas is experiencing drought. 29% of the state is in the “extreme drought” category.

(U.S. Drought Monitor )

“It feels like the death of agriculture somewhat in our area. Dryland farms really don’t pencil out on hardly anything,” says Heath Heinrich, a cotton and sorghum farmer located south of Lubbock in Slaton, Tex.

Heinrich grows cotton, sorghum and wheat just south of Lubbock, Texas, and he says it feels like a losing battle for farming in his area this year.

“We’re surrounded by political movements. We’re surrounded by tariffs, by markets, and then Mother Nature and business on top of it,” Heinrich says. “And it’s like we are trying to battle so many fronts right now that it’s hard to tell if we’re gaining any ground, you know, or if it’s leading to our demise.”

Drought has gripped Heinrich’s area for multiple years. It’s so dry they’ve struggled to even get the wheat that was planted in the fall to grow this past winter.

“We’re still waiting on the seed to sprout on two-thirds of our stuff,” Heinrich says.

Beyond Losing Money
As president and CEO of National Cotton Council (NCC), Gary Adams sees and hears the somber situation for U.S. cotton farmers from coast to coast. Adams says the outlook for 2025 is even worse than 2024.

“We’ve gone beyond just losing money now that we’re to the point of losing the farm. Unfortunately, where the industry is, that’s what it looks like as we’re going into 2025,” Adams says.

Adams says there’s a lot to unpack in explaining why cotton prices are so low, but the biggest reason is dwindling demand.

“If we look at world mill-use for cotton, it’s estimated right now around 117 to 118 million bales. Well, you don’t have to go too far back to see when we were consuming 123 million bales,” Adams says.

China Moves Away From U.S. Cotton
The biggest reason for the drop in world demand, according to National Cotton Council, is more competition from man-made fibers.

“You look at polyester production in China right now, they produce probably somewhere on the order of about 225 to 230 million bale equivalents. They’re almost twice the size of global cotton demand,” Adams says.

The dwindling picture of U.S cotton exports.

(National Cotton Council)

At the same time, big cotton producers, such as Brazil and Australia, are staring at big crops, which is helping global competition for the smaller market that’s left.

“We are an export-dependent industry,” Adams says. “About 85% of our cotton production is going to the export market. A strong dollar doesn’t help that competitiveness either.”

China is still a larger buyer of U.S. cotton, but there are two reasons they are buying less than they used to:

The switch to synthetic, man-made fibers
The last trade war

“If we go back to 2018, China was buying about 3 to 4 million bales. All of a sudden, we immediately saw the market share the U.S. had go from about 42% to 17%, and prices went from the mid-80s down into the mid-60s. We’re already starting in a depressed situation in terms of where market prices are compared to where they were.”

Cotton has lost market share relative to man-made fibers (MMF).

(National Cotton Council )

With so much focus on trade in Washington this week, NCC wants the Trump administration to enforce trade agreements already in place.

“A big concern we have is that you have non-qualifying product that comes in from third countries that should not be reaping the benefits of the trade agreement,” Adams says.

Some of the biggest offenders, according to NCC, are India, Pakistan and China.

“When you look at the trade date of the imported product coming in, there’s probably some Chinese, Indian and Pakistan yarn and fabric coming into those countries and then likely making its way into the U.S. in a finished good as a duty-free product,” Adams says. “That’s really where you’ve got to crack down because it ought to be either U.S. fiber or yarns produced in the region that allow you to gain the duty-free access into the U.S. market.”

Drumming Up New Domestic Demand
The cotton industry hopes to also capitalize on the momentum from the president’s America First Agenda , as one of the big domestic issues is not as much American-grown cotton is being milled here, either.

Textile/Apparel production has moved out of the U.S.

(National Cotton Council (NCC) )

In 2004, 6.7 million bales were used by U.S. cotton mills
In 2024, that dropped to 1.7 million
That equals a nearly 75% decline in the past 20 years.

One way NCC hopes to help revive the U.S. cotton industry longer term is by boosting domestic demand.

“As an industry, we are looking at some opportunities to perhaps use tax credits to reward the use of U.S. cotton in the supply chain by a brand and retailer. In other words, add some additional value to pull U.S. cotton through to the end product,” Adams says.

Farm Bill is No. 1 Priority
In the short-term, the NCC is pushing Congress to complete a new farm bill - one that applies to the 2025 crop.

“I just can’t state this strongly enough: We have to have a farm bill done by Congress this year that applies to the 2025 crop,” Adams says. “The economic assistance that was approved in the end-of-year package last year was a critical lifeline that’s allowing a number of producers to continue to get financing, but it was simply a short-term fix. It doesn’t address the 2025 crop. That’s why we’ve got to have something that helps meet some of the financial needs that producers are under right now.”

That dire plea for a farm bill is being echoed by cotton farmers, as well.

“We have to have a farm bill. Farmers can’t survive without a farm bill,” Rowland says. “The government came up with disaster and emergency relief programs, and that’s fine. But to hang your hat on something, so to speak, we’ve got to have a farm bill with reference prices that are current to the input costs.”

Rowland says the cotton industry is to a point that they are already seeing younger producers get forced out due to the lack of financing.

“What I hear from the younger guys is they’re having a really hard time getting financed. They can’t pay back the 2024 operating loan, so the banks are not wanting to go with them again in 2025,” Rowland says. “The money we got here lately from the government helped a lot, but it didn’t solve the problem.”

Rowland says the current farm bill is irrelevant, even calling it “worthless” for cotton.

“Without a farm bill, sooner or later, we’re going to be doomed,” he says.

Excitement for 2025 is Gone
Typically, planting season is one of the most exciting times of the year for Rowland, and one that signals hope and new beginnings. But this year, that excitement is gone.

“Typically my adrenaline starts going. I get all excited about making a crop and putting in a crop, and this year is completely different,” he says. “It’s just hard to get motivated to spend this money. I just spent $50,000 today on fertilizer and chemicals. Am I going to get that back? So, I’m not excited about it at all.”

Rowland says if prices don’t improve this year, it’s not just the fact he won’t be able to cover the high input costs he’s already paid, he says he could be staring at losses in the millions.

Your Next Read:

New Warning Signs Agriculture Is In A Recession
Will There Be A New Farm Bill This Year?

Once Again, Weather Cuts Cotton Yields Short in the Southwest

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 20:58:33 GMT

Late-season rain cut into cotton harvest across west Texas and the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles. It was another chapter in a year where too much early and mid-season rain inhibited growth, and drought and long runs of 100-degree days parched peak season production.

In the first 20 days of November, fields near Lubbock received 4” of rain or more. Normal November rainfall is less than 1”, says Ken Lege, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension cotton specialist. About 30% or more of the region’s cotton remained in the field following the rain.

Prior to the rain, harvest had been ahead of schedule, thanks to a mild September and October. Overall, the precipitation was welcomed, but it came about three months too late.

Shawn Wade, director of policy and research for Plains Cotton Growers, Inc., says the continued drought and hot temperatures were too much for many dryland acres to overcome. On Nov. 1, USDA estimated Texas farmers “had abandoned about 19.5% of the 5.8 million acres planted,” he says. “About 25% to 30% of dryland acres were failed. When final counts are made, the dryland acres failed may top 50% statewide.”

After fields sweltered under days and weeks in the 100-degree-plus temperatures of July and August, Lege says west Texas yields were below average. The wet November could cause color deterioration and lower leaf grade. However, no major micronaire issues are expected.

“The added heat units received in September and October added to the micronaire,” Lege says. “We’re not dealing with low mike for a change. But the summer heat and long dry spell lowered production. Fiber length was reduced. And we’re finding fewer numbers of seeds per locule.

“We normally see 8 to 10 seeds per loc, but we’re finding bolls with 5 to 7 seeds per loc,” he says. “When viewing fields from the turn row, bolls look normal.But by taking a closer look, bolls are smaller. A field might appear as a 2-bale crop, but actually be 1.3 to 1.4 bales.”

Limited Irrigation
Groundwater availability has been shrinking for decades across the southern High Plains, where annual rainfall rarely tops 20” and is often closer to 10”. Irrigated fields in the Lubbock and Amarillo areas depend on limited watering. Growers often devote water to only a half, or even one-third of a center pivot system. That was not enough to withstand the summer heat and blast furnace west Texas wind.

Many wells nearly dried out by peak bloom or sooner. Irrigated fields that normally yield 2 bales per acre, hit 1 to 1.5 bales.

Of the 500,000 acres of cotton planted in the Texas Panhandle, Jourdan Bell, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension agronomist in Amarillo, says it’s about a 50-50 split between dryland and irrigated production.

“Producers are seeing good yields in the northern counties where there was more rain,” she says, noting the Panhandle harvest was also roughly two-thirds completed by about Nov. 20. “Irrigated yields top 3 to 4 bales in many fields. Some dryland fields yielded 1.5 bales where producers received timely rain.”

However, many dryland fields yielded 1 bale at the most, she adds, and the western Panhandle saw a reduction in irrigated and dryland acres. “The majority of the failed acres were dryland,” Bell says. “Late hail also impacted cotton in the western Panhandle.”

Although the late-fall rains kept strippers and pickers parked, growers welcomed the showers to boost their winter wheat chances.

“The rains were a game changer for wheat,” Bell says. “The 3” to 8” of rain will impact the value of forage and wheat grazing, haying or ensiling.

“Panhandle producers manage risk by planting multiple commodities. Prices are low for cotton, grain and other commodities across the board. But we see high cattle prices. Producers are watching the livestock markets and see the value of grazing wheat and better forage production on rangeland.

“Hopefully, having a good wheat crop and greener rangeland will help compensate for reduced profit potential for this year’s cotton crop.”
The Texas Coastal Bend also had production issues, ranging from dodging tropical storms to extended dry periods.

“Yields averaged about 900 lb. per acre across the region,” says Justin Chopelas, a farmer and crop consultant near Corpus Christi. “Yields varied from a half-bale to 3 bales. On the dry west side of (the mid summer’s) Hurricane Beryl path, production was lower. The eastern side of the storm received more rain and had better yields.”

Chopelas says his farm was in the dry region and yielded only 400 lb. from only 1.5” of rain, “while one grower had 3.3 bales. It just depended on where you were.”

4-Bale Dryland
That’s a rarity in a good Texas cotton year, but more than exceptional for 2024. After a wet spring and early summer that had many fields in standing water for days and weeks, much of the Texas Blacklands saw weather cooperate at harvest.

“Yields turned out much better than expected,” boasts Mark Nemec, a crop consultant in Waco.

“Yields ranged from 2 to 4 bales. The stuff under water longer made 2 bales. And some dryland fields on drier ground made 3.5 to 4 bales. The better yields were in the Brazos Bottom and around Taylor and Navasota.”

With cotton prices at sub-70¢ per pound, some wonder if even 4 bales per acre will turn a profit. With cratered crop prices, Nemec believes farmers are still pondering their rotations for 2025.

“Corn and sorghum faced the same situations as cotton, he says. “Fields that stood in the water longer made lower yields. We’ll still see many cotton acres. But with the (futures trading) board at 66¢, we need price rallies and to quit giving the stuff away.”
Chopelas says with planting set to begin in early February, growers aren’t sure if they’ll add more corn or sorghum acres.

“It’s hard for us to get away from cotton,” he says. “It’s more flexible than corn or sorghum. Plus, growers have invested in cotton production equipment. That guarantees we’ll have cotton.”

Seed Availability?
Lege is concerned with drought-stressed fields yielding fewer seeds per boll, planting seed availability may be tight for 2025.

“About 50% of the regional planting seed is produced in this (Lubbock) region,” Lege says. “But we’re not getting as many seeds per acre from harvest. Many are concerned with there being enough quality seed. The weight of the seed may not be as high as it has been.”

However, Lege notes that 2024 Extension variety trials show strong yield potential from commercial varieties available from all seed companies.

“Regardless of their trait package, there are good choices from all companies,” he says. “Growers are not having to face a yield hit if they are forced to switch technologies.”

Georgia Loses Nearly 700,000 Bales to Hurricane Helene

About 30% of Georgia’s cotton crop was lost when Hurricane Helene churned through much of the Southeast in late September, according to University of Georgia Extension and the Georgia Cotton Commission.

Before the storm, USDA had projected Georgia would produce approximately 2.1 million bales. After surveying the storm damage, “we lost nearly 700,000 bales,” says Taylor Stills, Georgia Cotton Commission executive director.

Stills says peanut production also suffered from wet fields, as well as pockets of corn. Georgia and other cotton state producer associations are hopeful the lame duck Congress will pass a new farm bill, or at least vote to extend the 2018 farm bill to provide more disaster relief to farmers.

“Mother Nature hit us both (the Southeast and Southwest) in different ways,” he says. “When producers go to the bank in February, they don’t know what to tell the banker, and the banker doesn’t know what to tell them. “We’re not making enough cotton and the (66¢ per pound) market is not high enough. Our economic disaster is just as devastating as the natural disasters. We need more help.”

Cotton harvest in 2024 was delayed by reams of rain near Spearman in the Texas Panhandle.

(Courtesy Mark Brown, Plains Cotton Growers, Inc.)

Georgia Farmers Say Hurricane Helene is Most Catastrophic, Costly Storm Ever

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 19:29:59 GMT

Farmers in southeast Georgia are still trying to recover from Hurricane Helene, the most catastrophic and costly hurricane they’ve ever seen, superseding even Hurricane Katrina.

Cleanup is underway, but it might take years to put the pieces back together. Farmers say with lower commodity prices, many were already on the financial brink before the storm.

Catastrophic Damage from Hurricane Helene

The loss from Hurricane Helene was devastating for farmers in southeast Georgia. A foot of rain and hurricane winds of 125 mph ripped through Coffey County, the epicenter.

“We were considered one of the hotspots for it because that was the highest-recorded wind. We had 30 tornadoes also come through this county at the same time during the hurricane,” says Van Grantham, a farmer in Coffee County, Ga.

He says the biggest loss was to timber as tree stands they’ve been growing for 35 to 40 years are completely gone and will cost $1,000 per acre to cleanup and restore.

“There was probably 75% to as high as 100% damage on timber stands,” he adds.

Damage from Hurricane Helene to the timber trees in southeast Georgia.

(Andrew Lyon )

Severe Impact on Agriculture in Coffey County

The Granthams also have 215 acres of peanuts to harvest and 1,400 acres of cotton. The latter has been nearly wiped out.

“We’ve lost all of our cotton acres and peanuts,” Grantham says. “We should have been midway through harvest, if not three-quarters. We can’t get into the fields, and they’re saying everything is down [power] for another three to four weeks.”

Damage from Hurricane Helene to the cotton crop in southeast Georgia.

(Andrew Lyon)

Livestock Losses

In addition to row crops, the Granthams also lost livestock. They lost several cattle and over 100,000 chickens on their operation.

It’s a story of dramatic losses and damage when you talk to any farmer in southeast Georgia right now.

“It’s about a four-county area that was hit. It’s counties like Kulfi County, Jeff Davis and Atkinson County,” he adds. “I know there’s 598 chicken houses total, but there’s 298 on the ground.”

The Financial Hit From the Storm

Thousands of farms and homes are still out of electricity and water. Farmers in southeast Georgia have met with state and federal officials with the message they need disaster assistance immediately.

“It was already struggling before, and then this just kind of added way more on us physically, mentally and financially. I mean, this is a financial burden with the devastation,” adds Chase Grantham, Van’s son.

The damage caused by Hurricane Helene to infrastructure in southeast Georgia is monumental. Not only did the hurricane pack a punch of high winds, but it also brought more than 30 tornadoes to the area.

(Andrew Lyon)

While the immediate needs are clear, Chase says it could take farmers several years to rebuild and they may never be whole.

Seeing the Devastation First-Hand

Farm Journal’s Trust in Food team traveled to southeast Georgia last week and saw the devastation first-hand. The team spoke to growers, walked cotton fields torn to shreds by the storm and saw infrastructure crushed by the storm. Trust in Food’s Andrew Lyon spoke to AgriTalk’s Chip Flory about what the team saw last week and the impact it could have on growers for years to come. You can listen to that conversation here.

U.S. Southeast Faces Daunting Cleanup from Helene as Death Toll Rises

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 13:55:04 GMT

Authorities across the southeastern U.S. faced the daunting task on Saturday of cleaning up from Hurricane Helene, one of the most powerful and perhaps costliest storms to hit the country, as the death toll continued to rise.

At least 47 deaths were reported by early Saturday, and officials feared still more bodies would be discovered across several states.

Damage estimates across the storm’s rampage range between $95 billion and $110 billion, potentially making this one of the most expensive storms in modern U.S. history, said Jonathan Porter, chief meteorologist of AccuWeather, a commercial forecasting company.

Downgraded late on Friday to a post-tropical cyclone, the remnants of Helene continued to produce heavy rains across several states, sparking massive flooding that threatened to cause dam failures that could inundate entire towns.

“The devastation we’re witnessing in Hurricane Helene’s wake has been overwhelming,” President Joe Biden said on Saturday. “Jill and I continue to pray for all of those who have lost loved ones and for everyone impacted by this storm.”

Biden was briefed about the loss of life and storm’s impact
on multiple states by Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Liz Sherwood-Randall, the White House’s homeland security adviser, the White House said.

The president directed them to continue to focus on speeding up support to storm survivors and accelerating recovery efforts, including the immediate deployment of additional search and rescue teams into North Carolina, it added.

At least 3 million customers remained without power on Saturday afternoon across five states, with authorities warning it could be several days before services were fully restored.

The worst outages were in South Carolina with more than 1
million homes and businesses without power, and Georgia where 750,000 were without power.

Some of the worst rains hit western North Carolina, which
saw almost 30 inches (76 cm) fall on Mount Mitchell in Yancey County, the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center reported.

Atlanta was hit with 13 inches of rain, and farmers in South
Georgia were assessing the damage to the state’s $1 billion
cotton crop and $400 million pecan crop now in harvest season.

Before moving north through Georgia and into Tennessee and the Carolinas, Helene hit Florida’s Big Bend region as a powerful Category 4 hurricane on Thursday night, packing 140 mph (225 kph) winds. It left behind a chaotic landscape of overturned boats in harbors, felled trees, submerged cars and flooded streets.

Police and firefighters carried out thousands of water rescues throughout the affected states on Friday.

More than 50 people were rescued from the roof of a hospital in Unicoi County, Tennessee, about 120 miles (193 km) northeast of Knoxville, state officials said, after flood waters swamped the rural community.

‘CHIMNEY ROCK IS GONE’

The NWS issued flash flood warnings overnight for a swath of eastern Tennessee covering 100,000 residents, warning them to seek higher ground. The Nolichucky Dam in Tennessee’s Greene County was on the brink of failure on Saturday, officials reported, adding that a breach could occur at any time.

In western North Carolina, Rutherford County emergency officials warned residents near the Lake Lure Dam that it might fail, although they said late on Friday that did not appear imminent.

Multiple people in and around Chimney Rock, N.C., described the village’s downtown as washed out, with images online showing inches of mud and sediment, uprooted trees and snapped telephone poles and buildings turned into debris.

“All right folks, listen up, Chimney Rock is gone, Flowering Bridge is gone,” somebody known as Touristpov posted on TikTok, showing videos of the destruction. “I don’t know what they’ll do to get us out of here.”

In nearby Buncombe County, landslides forced Interstate Highways 40 and 26 to close and parts of them were washed out, the county said on X.

Mountain communities such as Boone and Burnsville, N.C., were cut off as highways were clogged with debris or washed out, said Rebecca Newton, who was scrambling to find anyone with cell service in the area who could check on her family home near Mount Mitchell.

“Towns are totally cut off,” she said after spending her morning making dozens of calls to friends in the area. “They’re using helicopters to get people out of Boone and Asheville.”

“Spruce Pine is gone, nothing but rooftops poking out of water,” she said of the mountain community about 50 miles northeast of Asheville.

Newton said a friend told her she had watched houses in her neighborhood slide one at a time into a river near Boone.

“It’s unreal,” she said.

The Burnsville Hub Facebook page is replete with people desperate to find anyone to check on relatives and friends cut off from telephone service.

One poster, Rachel Richmond, wrote, “I need any route that will get me as close as I can. I will walk the rest of the way. I need to get to my parents.”

WAKING TO DISASTER

The extent of the damage in Florida began emerging after daybreak on Friday.

In coastal Steinhatchee, a storm surge - a wall of seawater pushed ashore by winds - of eight to 10 feet (2.4-3 meters) moved mobile homes, the weather service said. In Treasure Island, a barrier island community in Pinellas County, boats were grounded in front yards.

The city of Tampa posted on X that emergency personnel had completed 78 water rescues of residents and that many roads were impassable because of flooding. The Pasco County sheriff’s office rescued more than 65 people.

A total of 11 people died in Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis said on Saturday, speaking in Perry, Fla., which saw 15-foot storm surges, larger than those seen in hurricanes in recent years.

“If you look around here, you can see that some homes are just rubble,” he said. “This stuff comes in, it’s fierce and it’s just unstoppable.”

FEMA’s Criswell joined DeSantis on a tour of storm-damaged areas of the state. She will travel to Georgia on Sunday and North Carolina on Monday, the White House said.

“I just want to say on behalf of the president that we extend our deepest sympathies for those families that have lost loved ones,” Criswell said.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s office reported 15 storm-related fatalities in that state, while North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said there had been two deaths there.

At least 19 people died during the storm across South Carolina, the Charleston-based Post and Courier newspaper reported, citing local officials.

(Reporting and writing by Rich McKay; additional reporting by Joseph Ax, Andrew Hay, Brad Brooks, Ismail Shakil and Andrea Shalal; Editing by Bill Berkrot, Daniel Wallis and Paul Simao)

Growing a Crop This Year is Crucial for Drought-Stricken Texas Farmers, 2024 is Now Make or Break For Many

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 12:53:32 GMT

Glimpses of green sprouting in fields across West Texas, are also producing signs of hope as any soil moisture in this area of the country is cherished.

“Compared to the last two years, we’re a little bit ahead of where we were, this time of year, as far as winter moisture,” says Rex Kennedy, who farms around Lubbock, Texas.

The area received much needed rain last week, which is a relief for Kennedy and other area farmers. High winds the past few weeks had zapped the little soil moisture they had, but it’s still better than last year when high winds ravaged the area, killing off the winter wheat.

“We’re in need of some good springtime rains and planting rains, but we always are,” Kennedy says.

Kennedy farms around 10,000 acres in a partnership with his brother-in-law, and 8,000 of that is dryland. Last year, they didn’t have a dryland crop to harvest .

This year, the moisture situation is better, but they had been banking on better moisture this winter. El Niño typically brings bouts of snow for farmers in Texas. This year, they didn’t catch any of that.

“January was a little bit above average, March has been above average, but you’re talking about, on our farms, what we’ve averaged is about six-tenths to eight -tenths of an inch,” Kennedy says. “Now that’s above average, but it’s certainly not as much as we’d like.”

Still, in this area, cotton is the core crop, and Kennedy says they are growing slightly more cotton in 2024.

“My operation, I have all cotton equipment,” he says. “I’m not really set up for grains. Now, if the prices were to be dramatically different, with cotton hovering around 80¢, yes, I would look for something different. But right now, and like always in West Texas, cotton is king.”

The 2024 Cotton Planting Picture

USDA’s Prospective Plantings Report released March 28 showed a slight decline in cotton acres for 2024. Nationwide, USDA thinks cotton acres could be up 4% this year.

“I don’t think anybody’s surprised about the number of cotton acres. What I think what has happened over time is, you know, in our area, or in the south, the corn-cotton ratio has trended in favor of cotton, mostly most of the winter and into the spring,” says Darren Hudson, professor and the Larry Combest Endowed Chair for Agricultural Competitiveness at Texas Tech University. “Everybody was anticipating a few more acres, I think, being planted than the 10.7 million all acres forecast by USDA. Maybe it’s an underestimate, but not by much.”

Hudson is an agricultural economist with Texas Tech University who focuses heavily on cotton. He says for 2024, the supply story hinges on abandonment.

“If we had a reasonable summer, sort of normal weather kind of pattern, you could see a pretty sizable crop, just based on you know, the number of acres that get planted,” Hudson says. “With the forecasted La Niña during the summer, that’s not favorable to cotton production.”

The Fallout From Two Consecutive Years of Devastating Drought

Farmers in this area have already faced two consecutive years of drought. Another dry summer would be devastating.

“Crop insurance helps smooth a bit for producers, but only 65% of expected revenue, so it’s certainly not going to save them from losing money,” Hudson says. “I think a lot of producers are sort of upside down on the production loans. They’ve been refinancing, trying to roll that forward. And the banks have been working with them for now, but certainly that’s a risk to the banks, too.”

The farm financial situation is already a challenge in West Texas and the Panhandle. The drought took its toll on cotton production and the financial picture, and as Hudson points out, many farmers weren’t able to completely cover their operating loans from last year.

“It’s the younger farmers that are more leveraged, that are really feeling that pinch. And that’s the group that we least want to see, you know, get out of agriculture,” Hudson says.

The situation is something Plains Cotton Growers CEO Kody Bessent is also concerned about. He says the financial hardship is happening to farmers of all ages.

“We’ve lost cotton farmers be it young or old; we’ve had older producers that have exacerbated a lot of their long-term financial income, to the point that they just can’t simply sustain that,” Bessent explains. “We’ve had younger producers, because it’s such a difficult industry to get into, especially if you don’t have family or friends to help you segue into the industry, that it’s very difficult to get your footing and survive if you don’t at least make a decent crop and are able to weather some of the financial risks that has bestowed upon the industry.”

The fallout from the drought isn’t just unfolding across farms, according to Bessent, it’s also happening with crucial infrastructure like cotton gins.

“We saw some infrastructure, be it gins or other downstream related segments, completely go out of business, which we’re very cautious and very empathetic to that, because in many instances, when a cotton gin by example goes offline, it’s very difficult, if not impossible, for it to come back up,” he says.

A Crucial Year for Cotton Farmers

How essential is it for cotton farmers here to not just break even, but make a profit this year? Bessent says it’s huge.

“There’s a lot of volatility, a lot of financial duress in the marketplace coming in out of our second year,” he says. “Third year is really difficult for the industry to survive, be it a producer or downstream segments. So, we’ve got to make a crop. This will make or break an individual for the most part.”

It’s not just concerns about making a crop but also the price of new crop cotton.

“Right now, cotton prices are hovering around 80¢ to 85¢, and that is an absolute must,” Kennedy says.

“If you had told me five or 10 years ago that 82¢ cotton would not be profitable, I probably would have laughed at you. But today, that’s pretty close to the breakeven,” Hudson says.

As Kennedy and other area farmers prep fields to plant, the risk is high.

“When you talk about cotton, for example, anywhere from 40% to 60% of the price or the cost of production is in the ground when you put the seed in, so, a loss at that point is pretty substantial that insurance is just not going to cover living expenses and everything else,” Hudson says.

“My main concern coming up, I guess, No. 1 would be timely rains, but once again, No. 2 these input cost with no farm program,” says Kennedy. “It’s going to be hard to make this pencil out without a drastic change in our foreign policy and the economy adjusting to where we can get some of these input costs where they’re not so high.”

From increased costs, to barely break-even prices for the cotton planted this spring, West Texas farmers continue to find new ways to weather the storm. And that’s what it’s going to take to save a vital piece of the area’s economy and livelihood.

The Biggest Wild Card For Cotton Acres and Prices in 2024

Sun, 07 Apr 2024 20:16:13 GMT

Cotton acres are expected to rise 4% in 2024, a number that was a bit surprising to the trade. While that increase might be reflected in the June acreage report, another key question is if cotton demand can continue to find footing and support higher prices.

USDA’s Prospective Plantings report showed cotton farmers plan to plant 10.7 million acres in 2024. That’s lower than what many expected leading into the report, according to Jody Campiche, vice president, economics & policy analysis, National Cotton Council (NCC).

“If you take a look at the trade and what they were expecting, most we’re expecting a higher number,” Campiche says. “We were at 10.2. million acres last year and 10.7 million this year, but I think most we’re expecting somewhere in the 11 to 11.5 range.”

Campiche says the biggest question mark is with Texas acreage. USDA showed farmers intend to plant slightly fewer cotton acres in 2024.

“When you look at where the acreage is going, it doesn’t show it’s actually going to any other principal crops,” Campiche explains. “We’re actually seeing a decline in overall primary crop acreage, but it’s still early. I think we could see some changes, and maybe some additional acreage could pop up somewhere in Texas.”

Related News: Where Did All the Corn Acres and Principal Crop Acres Go? The Two Biggest Questions from USDA’s Big Prospective Plantings Report

Cotton Demand

Campiche says the U.S. cotton demand picture is improving, but it’s still struggling.

“As we look ahead, it’s really going to depend on what happens with the U.S. crop this year and what happens in Brazil and Australia,” she says. “Brazil continues to expand their acreage and produce a better crop. Australia has water, so their crops should be good as well. All those things could create some price pressure for this next year.”

South America might be the biggest wildcard for both supply and demand, but outside of South America, the demand picture hinges on a strong economy in the U.S. and around the globe.

“We’re going to have to see where economic growth goes,” she says. “Right now, current world GDP growth projections are about 3.1% for 2024. We don’t generally see a large swing in cotton demand from one year to the next — a large bounce back with growth is about 3%. We’re going to need to see better economic growth and better cotton demand.”

No Dryland Crop to Harvest: West Texas Cotton Farmers Open Up About the Harsh Realities of 2023

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 21:19:40 GMT

No matter where you travel in west Texas this year, the story is the same. Drought and heat created an endless battle for area cotton farmers.

“It was a devastating year,” says Casey Jones, a farmer in Lubbock, Texas.

“This is my 49th crop, and it’s been the toughest one to make,” says Bobby Rackler, a farmer in Hockley County, Texas.

Harsh Realities of 2023

The combination of heat and drought dried up hopes of growing a crop this year. Casey Jones’ farm ground is right on the edge of Lubbock, and he says if you ask any area farmer, they’ll tell you the 2023 cotton crop is one those farmers would like to forget.

“I’ve talked to a lot of my farmer friends about that, and it’s one of those years where you tell yourself, ‘Let’s get this one behind us, get it out of the books and let’s get on to a better one,’” says Jones.

Rackler says the challenges continued to mount for the West Texas cotton crop.

“Just everything went against it,” says Rackler. “We had 46 days of over 100 degrees and no humidity.”

Dryland Crop is Nonexistent

Farmers in West Texas didn’t have much of a crop to harvest this year. If a farmer only had dryland acres, they didn’t even have a crop to harvest this year.

“Everyone I’ve talked to is disappointed,” says Racker. “Their yields are way down, some of them lost all of their crop, and they’re not even harvesting.”

Fields that have no irrigation took the brunt of the heat and dryness, as those fields didn’t survive the harsh realities of 2023.

“The dryland is a total failure,” says Rackler. “The irrigated cotton is making a half of what it usually makes. A normal year, our cotton on drip irrigation, will make three bales, but this year it’s only making about a bale and a half.”

Cotton harvest can drag on some years, but not this year. Jones says harvest only lasted eight days. And it’s all because the dismal crop meant farmers had less to harvest.

“I’ve heard farmers across the board say the irrigated ground is about two bales to two and a quarter bales [per acre] on drip. I’ve got some pivots that’ll probably go anywhere between a bale and a half [per acre],” he adds.

Tough Start

The growing season started out extremely dry. When Farm Journal visited with farmers in March , they were still debating whether to plant. Consecutive years of little to no moisture meant subsoil moisture was nonexistent. Add to that severe winds in the late winter and early spring, and any winter cover crop and winter wheat didn’t survive the winter.

“We started off really dry and windy from all the way from February, March and April,” says Jones. “We had heavy sustaining winds of 82 mile-per-hour straight line winds.”

After winds and drought demolished cover crops and winter wheat area farmers planted late last year, they finally saw some rain that ended up delaying planting.

“We had 13 inches rain in May, and we really thought that was going to be it. The rain changed our outlook a little bit to go into a summer that was actually wet,” says Jones.

That relief, however, was extremely short-lived. The weather turned dry and hot, quickly zapping the moisture that came in May.

“We sustained 100-degrees-plus for 60-days-plus,” says Jones. “You have to understand that people don’t do good in 100 degrees, so you can imagine what plants do with limited water. It’s really tough.”

Largest Cotton Patch in the U.S.

The West Texas area is critical for cotton production. USDA shows Texas growers produce 42% of the country’s cotton . The area surrounding Lubbock, Texas, is known as the largest cotton patch in the U.S. And the majority of the cotton crop currently seeing extreme drought conditions is in that key cotton production area.

As cotton prices dropped this year, it’s been puzzling to farmers who are experiencing their worst production year on record. Farmers in West Texas know profits will be slim, but in this area of the country, they’ve learned they still have to protect one of the most precious resources they have.

“We started the first drip in 2008 here because it was a better usage of the water. It has no evaporation. I was skeptical at first, but I found out it does work. And it is stretched our water a lot more,” says Rackler.

Rackler adds that one of his farms had three pivots at one time, pumping 1,200 gallons a minute.

“Now I’m down to 500 gallons on the same well. And it’s just stretching your water further and utilizing it the best way you can,” he says.

The downfall is drip irrigation comes with a hefty cost. It’s double the cost of pivot irrigation systems, yet it’s those investments these farmers hope will pay off longer-term.

“It’s kind of the rule of 10,” says Jones. “You’re going to get several good years in there, you’re going to get a lot of bad years, and you’ve got to make sure to manage those bad years with the good years.”

As farmers reflect back on 2023, they’re surviving the harsh reality of such a trying year. Jones says there’s only one way to summarize the year West Texas farmers just endured.

“Let’s wait for next year,” says Jones with a smile on his face.

U.S. Farm Report and AgDay are hitting the fields to check on cotton harvest progress and yields with the 2023 Cotton Harvest Tour this year, which is sponsored by Deltapine® . The tour is visiting farmers in east-central Texas, Georgia, Tennessee and wrapped up in West Texas.

Southwest Georgia Cotton Yields a Nice Surprise for One Farmer

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 19:06:46 GMT

Neil Lee’s family has tended to the soils in a pocket of southwest Georgia since the 1980s, and he launched his farming career in 2001. The Dalton, Ga., area is ideal for growing corn, peanuts and cotton , and 2023 will be a year to remember.

It was cool and dry when they started planting, Lee says. At the end of May, the temps were still cool, but then it started to rain — five to six inches at a time.

“That made it difficult to get a crop up,” he says.

It was more than sporadic showers that fell across southwest Georgia. Ethan Cody, the agronomist for Lee Farms, says some of the farmground was drowning from so much rain.

Related Story: East-Central Texas Farmer Blown Away By Cotton Yields This Year

“We had anywhere from nine to 12 inches of rain in a week,” Cody says. “From what I saw walking fields and flying a good bit with a drone, I would say we lost somewhere between 7% to 10% of our crop just from washouts.”

Cody says the cool temperatures also stunted the growth early on.

“Normally, on the earlier side of our planting window, I would like to have a stand up within six to eight days of planting,” Cody says. “We had some stuff that was stretched out to 10, 12 or even 14 days. When plants struggle like that coming up, it slows down the entire process after that.”

High Heat

As the crop was recovering from too much rain and cooler temperatures, the area then saw a sudden switch. A heat wave hit the crop, lasting much of summer.

“It was one of the hottest summers I can ever remember,” Lee says. “We changed from cold to one of the hottest summers we’ve had.”

The heat helped push the crop to maturity after it was stunted from the cool and wet weather early on. They thought harvest would be delayed, but the crop was ready right on time.

“Our yields were all over the board, depending on planting date,” Cody says. “On an average, I’d say we’re right at our normal or average crop. There’s some phenomenal cotton this year, and we also have some stuff that’s disappointing.”

A dry fall with no rain falling on open bolls was beneficial for the crop.

“Last year the dryland crop yields were off,” Lee says. “We had some good irrigated yields last year. This year, I think the dryland yields are way better than last year.”

“Money Bolls” at the Bottom

The one bonus growers in the area saw this year is the fact bolls filled up on the bottom of the plant.

“It’s always been said the bottom crop is your ‘money bolls,’” Cody says. “Most years we don’t really get to count on that fully, but it provided a bump to our yields.”

On average, Cody says they lose 50% to 60% of the bottom third of the crop to boll rot. This year, in the worst-case scenario, a 20% loss is the highest.

While plant bug pressure was heavy early on, it was tame during the growing season due to the dry weather. However, it’s the damage done early from the cool weather that is of most concern when harvest rolls around.

“You may have some areas in a field doing three bales or better, but when you factor in the average for the total acres, and 10% of those acres lost to poor stand counts, that’s impacting our final yield,” Cody says.

High-Quality Cotton Due to Dry Weather

While the lack of rain later in the season resulted in better grades and quality at the gin, Lee says they’re not getting paid a premium due to the dampened demand for cotton at home and around the globe.

“I wish more people would wear more cotton and it would be put in stores,” he says. “I wish people would look at labels on clothes and wear more cotton and realize where polyester is made and where it comes from.”

As Lee reflects back on 2023, it was an average year in terms of yield, but his plea for consumers to buy and support American-grown cotton, a natural fiber that he hopes will continue to be the fabric of our lives.

U.S. Farm Report and AgDay are hitting the fields to check on cotton harvest progress and yields with the 2023 Cotton Harvest Tour this year, which is sponsored by Deltapine® . The tour is visiting farmers in east-central Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, and wrapping up in West Texas.

West Tennessee Farmer Says He Just Harvested the Best Cotton Crop of His Life

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 14:55:25 GMT

Walk into cotton fields across West Tennessee this year, and you’ll step into a snapshot of what 2023 produced.

“This year we’ve got the potential to make a really good cotton crop in Tennessee,” says Brad Williams, who farms near Burlison, Tenn.

Williams is a farmer, a gin owner and an avid cotton advocate. Williams has been farming for nearly 30 years, with an integrated operation that relies on cotton. He says this year’s crop is one to remember.

“This crop never really struggled at all this year,” he says. “Even on warm or the hot days that we’ve had, it never wilted any. It looked exceptional all year.”

Ideal Growing Conditions

He says as the cotton pickers swept across his fields, they confirmed his assumptions of a phenomenal crop, and one with a night-and-day yield difference from last year’s disappointing harvest.

“Last year was a pretty tough year; probably one of the toughest in my career,” says Williams. “We stayed exceptionally dry the month of July with 100-degree heat. I think we even set a record with 14 days of 100-plus degrees and no rainfall; cotton was really struggling to survive.”

After a year of struggles in 2022, this year’s crop reaped weather that was much more favorable for growing cotton. Williams describes this year’s growing season as almost perfect.

“We have a lot of irrigated ground, and we were in no need of using the irrigation; we were fortunate that we didn’t have that expense in our crop this year,” says Williams. “We just had very ideal growing conditions this year. I haven’t had a season in 29 years where I’ve seen as good of growing conditions as we had this year.”

Williams says he is seeing yields at around 1,300 pounds of lint per acre. Last year, yields were between 900 and 950 pounds per acre. The prime growing conditions this year started at planting.

“Planting was pretty much on time this year, with very low pest populations in this crop. And we’ve been able to maintain this crop as I have pretty much weed-free,” he says.

Harvest came with drier weather, but the dry weather arrived at the prime time as no rainfall was good news for the quality of this year’s crop.

“We can make an exceptional crop and a good, high-quality crop, and that’s what we need to compete with the other cotton producing countries in the world,” says Williams. “I think we’ve got an exceptional, sustainable product. It’s out here; we just need a good, dry harvest from here on out.”

Weathering the Storm of Declining Infrastructure and Gins

Williams says cotton isn’t just what his family grows, it’s intertwined in everything they do on their farming operation.

“Cotton is our No. 1 crop. We have a cotton gin and cotton infrastructure in the warehouse and a cotton seed operation, also. We’re more kind of a vertically integrated operation, and cotton is our mainstay,” he says.

While cotton is a staple for their family, and one Williams continues to invest in, it’s an industry that continues to weather its own storms.

“In my career, we had around 830 gins nationwide when I started. I think that number is closer to 500 now,” he says. “At one time in Tennessee, we had 45 gins operating in the early 1990s. We’re down to six gins operating this year. So, the infrastructure is kind of fading away.”

As cotton continues to fight for acres, it’s a crop that comes with high risks and high rewards.

“Cotton is a riskier crop to grow. It’s an expensive crop to grow,” Williams explains.

Williams says despite the risks, he’s just thankful for such an exceptional crop this year. He says growing cotton in West Tennessee is an effort rooted in faith and the drive to persevere.

“I enjoy everything about growing cotton,” says Williams. “I enjoy the picking of it, the ginning aspect of it, producing the quality fiber that can be used around the world. There is something special and unique about cotton, and it’s a blessing to be able to do what we do.”

Southwest Georgia Weather Far From Ideal For Growing Cotton in 2023, Yet Harvest Yields a Nice Surprise for One Farmer

East-Central Texas Farmer Blown Away By Cotton Yields This Year

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 22:42:17 GMT

U.S. Farm Report and AgDay is hitting the fields to check on cotton harvest progress and yields with the 2023 Cotton Harvest Tour this year, which is sponsored by Deltapine® . The tour is visiting farmers in east-central Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, and wrapping up in West Texas.

With every pass, and every turn, cotton harvest produced surprises for Mac Kutzenberger, who farms just outside of College Station, Texas.

“I did not see this coming,” says Kutzenberger while picking cotton. “I was completely blown away. Cotton is an amazing plant to grow, and it hides a lot of its secrets until you finally get the leaves off of it. And then you go ‘Oh, wow, I didn’t see this coming.’”

While the ground he farms is sprawled across a couple counties, the home farm has a continuous 700 acre field that’s located right on the edge of the Brazos River.

“Actually, we had ideal planting conditions, which was kind of a shock,” he says. “Then as soon as we planted this field, it turned off very cool. And we had quite a substantial amount of rain.”

That rain even drowned out parts of this field at planting, with sparse plants in spots signs of the aftermath.

“After mother nature turned off the water spigot, it went extremely hot,” Kutzenberger says.

The area didn’t experience just a week or two of heat, but relentless heat that lasted all summer. College Station set a new record of 50 straight days of triple-digit heat, blowing past the previous record of 30 days.

“We saw daytime normal temperatures that got up to 110 degrees,” he says. “That doesn’t even count the heat index. So, it was extremely hot.”

Kutzenberger says what hindered the crop more this year was the fact it stayed so warm at night. He saw temps hovering around the mid to upper 80s at night, not giving the plants enough time to rest.

“Even in the mornings when you’d walk out it was like opening an oven,” he says. “It’s that kind of heat that just hits you. So, a lot of this cotton kind of never had a chance to relax at night, similar to what everybody else gets to do when they get home at night. That was one of our main struggles, as well, this year.

Piled on top of the temperatures was the fact this area also saw no rain during that time. Kutzenberger says that made keeping the crop irrigated a major hurdle.

“I like to call irrigation a rainfall supplement, not a rainfall substitution. And this year, it was rainfall substitution,” he says. “It’s very hard to try to keep up when mother nature doesn’t give you a little bit of a help.”

Ask any Texas farmer, and they’ll tell you 2023 was definitely a struggle growing cotton. With high heat and little rain, it was a lethal combination for some acres of cotton. That’s also what makes Kutzenberger’s harvest such a surprise.

“I was amazed by the field that we’re sitting in here,” he says. “This is three-plus bale [per acre] cotton crop, and it was actually a shock to me.”

On the edges of the field, Kutzenberger saw yields even higher. As he entered the final rows on the edge of the field, the cotton plants were laying over from all the weight of the plant packed with bolls.

“As we were running through the fields picking this, and in that corner, there were some amazing yields by the instant yield monitor,” he says. “I saw four-bale cotton. I saw spots of four and a half bales, just in the instant yield monitor.”

He admits he was pessimistic even a few weeks before harvest, but after they defoliated the crop, that’s when this field revealed the truth.

“Whenever you get to strip it down and get all the leaves off of it and you get to start harvesting it, and you get to see the cotton, I was just blown away this year,” he says.

While the ultimate report card comes from the gin, Kutzenberger says his fields of cotton saw no rain once the bolls were open, which should produce a high-quality cotton crop this year.

“You get to reap the benefits of what you sow. And so, being able to come out here and get in the cotton picker and harvest a crop like this, when had you asked me a month ago what our cotton crop was going to be like, and I would have told you I’d rather not talk about it,” he says.

After a choppy start and challenging growing season, it’s the quality, along with surprising yields, creating a sweet ending to what could have been a very bitter year.

Southwest Cotton Needs a Rebound

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 21:10:57 GMT

While a few Southwest cotton fields flourished with yields to brag about at the gin, the majority of the region’s production suffered, from one weather extreme to another.

From drought to start the year to cold, wet conditions at planting time and a blast furnace to follow, most dryland fields were dreadful and the irrigated crops struggled to hit normal yields.

Texas is expected to harvest nearly 3.6 million acres, according to USDA’s Oct. 1 production report. But the number of abandoned acres keeps rising and harvested acres could dip to 3.4 million or less, says Kody Bessent, CEO of Plains Cotton Growers, Inc. (PCG) in Lubbock, Texas.

Texas growers planted about 6.25 million cotton acres, down from 7.8 million in 2022. Continued drought remaining from 2022, coupled with stronger grain prices in early 2023, were the lead reasons behind a shift from cotton. Oklahoma cotton planting was estimated at 530,000, off from 670,000 in 2022. Of those, only about 310,000 were pegged for harvest.

USDA indicates Kansas will harvest only 88,000 acres from 115,000 planted, which was down from 165,000 planted in 2022. Arizona planted about 116,000 acres, up from about 103,000 in 2022. Only about 91,000 are being harvested. New Mexico growers planted about 80,000 acres, similar to 2022. There were expected to harvest only about 38,000.

PCG represents growers in the Texas Panhandle and South Plains, where more than half of the Texas crop is produced.

“Unfortunately, the vast majority of our region’s cotton acres were abandoned early due to drought conditions,” Bessent says. “That continued throughout much of June, July and August.

“Growers were excited early on after May and June rain. We had good planting conditions. But it didn’t rain again for many areas, while observing well over 100-degree temperatures consecutively until September. That was too late,” he adds.

Other than a few spots in the Panhandle, West Texas had little dryland cotton that made it to harvest. Irrigated production also stalled due to a dry soil profile to start the season following the 2022 drought. Irrigation wells saw groundwater dwindle.

“Irrigators used the best agronomic practices they could to get the most out of their water,” Bessent says. “Many using center pivots devoted their water to half or one-third of the circle, or used different row spacing to help conserve water. But in the end, you still must need Mother Nature’s help to make a crop.”

Central Texas also saw lower yields, as did most growers in the Upper Gulf Coast and Coastal Bend. Justin Chopelas, independent consultant near Corpus Christi, can’t get over the more than 96 days of 100 degrees or higher weather. A promising crop seared under the sun in a region where yields often top 3 bales per acre.

“That heat just killed the crop,” Chopelas moans. “It was bone dry in March and many dry-planted their cotton. There was hope after good rains in April, but there was little rain afterward. Much of the Coastal Bend area will average only about 1 bale. The east side of the area saw 1,200 pounds in some pockets. A few hit 1,400. Those crops had better potential.”

Hot weather pushed the limit on irrigation systems in the southeastern New Mexico and Southwestern Texas region, says Gary Beverage, consultant with Nutrien Ag Solutions in Artesia, N.M.

“Yields are variable. If fields had plenty of water, it’s a good cotton crop of 3 bales or better,” he says. “Some growers are hoping for 3.5 bales per acre. But where wells were tested by heat and excessive drought, yields will be lower.”

Overall, Texas yields are expected to barely surpass 500 pounds per acre; barely a bale, compared with about 735 pounds in 2022. In Oklahoma, USDA forecasts yields at about 418 pounds per acre, down from 634 in 2022. Mike Schultz, superintendent, Oklahoma State University Research Center in Altus, notes a large chunk of Oklahoma’s failed cotton acres are in the Altus region.

The regional irrigation district’s Lake Altus depends on rain to provide water for growers. But little rain fell.

“That’s why everything in the irrigation district is being harvested with a shredder for insurance purposes,” Schultz says. “Most dryland cotton was zeroed out. Areas farther north received better rainfall and are seeing better crop conditions. Yields are near normal or higher in the Caddo County area around Carnegie.”

Not All Yields Were Terrible

Although Kansas’s cotton acres were also down, yields are higher than expected, says Rex Friesen, manager, Southern Kansas Cotton Growers Co-op in Winfield. “Preliminary calculations indicate our average yield is 860 pounds per acre,” he says. “That’s much better than we were thinking after a slow start. All things considered, that’s terrific.”

Arizona, which depends almost entirely on irrigation, is forecast to yield about 1,260 pounds on average, according to USDA, down from nearly 1,500 pounds in 2022. With summer temperatures typically in the 100s, last summer was particularly hot. Cotton suffered.

“In July and August, we had 30 days of uninterrupted heat stress in the central part of the state,” says Randy Norton, University of Arizona Extension Cotton specialist.

“It was 115 to 120 (during that period). Cotton likes heat, but it needs lower nighttime temperatures to cool down. It needs to rest. Also, there were reduced irrigation supplies due to the heat. Yields that average about 3 bales are closer to 2.5 bales this year.”

PCG’s Bessent says the weak overall Texas yield of 500 pounds per acre illustrates the troubles growers had in making a crop on acres they didn’t abandon.

Crop insurance claims will help offset part of the losses, but nothing near what a crop will return to growers or infrastructure.

“Crop insurance is the keystone of farm policy,” Bessent says. “Growers rely on that from a cash flow standpoint. When you have a year like this, they can bank on insurance programs to help keep them in business. It doesn’t keep them whole, but can keep them from going bankrupt. It helps them move forward.”

Bessent points out that infrastructure segments such as gins, warehouses and merchants do not have the same access to risk management tools: “Once a gin shuts down, it doesn’t reopen — and the last two years of drought and loss of production have hurt.

“Lately, infrastructure is an ever-growing concern, as the cotton industry uniquely depends on volume to keep doors open. When we do have another good crop year — and we will — there may not be enough infrastructure to support the volume. Producers may experience delays in selling their crop,” Bessent says.

As for the fate of the 2023 crop, he notes: “Most farmers are trying to get off this crop and pivot into the new calendar year. When we see the discovery price for insurance, it will help dictate what they will plant in 2024.

“Most are set up on a rotation, with say cotton on a half circle and corn or sorghum on the other portion. The discovery price will help them determine how that rotation changes,” Bessent adds.

Bessent will be among other commodity group leaders who will continue to make periodic trips to Washington to promote a sound farm bill. But all would rather have the ability to manage Mother Nature and prevent drought and other weather disasters.

Unfortunately, that’s not a lobbying skill anyone possesses.

Texas Farmers Battle Wild Weather at Planting, Prompts USDA to Cut Cotton Acres in June Report

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 15:36:58 GMT

Last summer, sentiments across the Texas Panhandle were sinking. From gin operators to cotton farmers, the drought was drowning out any optimism area farmers had left. Nearly a year later, the story is dramatically different, with rains impacting the ability for farmers to plant all their intended cotton acres.

On Friday, USDA released its June Acreage report , estimating another cut to cotton acres. USDA says farmers planted 11.1 million acres of cotton, a reduction from the 11.3 million reported in USDA’s 2023 Prospective Plantings report . It’s also down a whopping 19% from last year’s final planted acreage estimate.

Texas is a major piece of the cotton production picture. It accounts for 42% of total U.S. cotton production, and the majority of that is grown around Lubbock, an area known as the largest cotton patch in the U.S. USDA estimates Texas farmers planted 6.1 million acres this year, which is nearly 1.7 million acres less than last year.

It wasn’t just lower cotton prices impacting growers decisions, but also the weather.

Kody Bessent is the CEO of Plains Cotton Growers (PCG) , representing cotton farmers across 42 counties in the Texas High Plains. He calls the weather changes pretty drastic and a change that happened pretty quick, too.

“We were still in a pretty severe drought situation, and certainly have not gotten out of that, but fortunately, as we’ve gotten into more of the aggressive planting time for our area, which is typically about the first part of May is when everybody really kind of starts getting going, we started to get rains,” Bessent says.

Bessent says farms across much of his area received a deluge of rainfall right at planting, and while the moisture was needed and welcomed, the sudden switch created new challenges for areas hit with the rush of rainfall. Farmers were unable to get the cotton crop planted this year.

“As you get through the Panhandle area, and all the way down through the western portion of the High Plains, their planting deadline is May 31, so we’ve obviously surpassed that.”

Crop-Killing Hail

Not only did the rainfall affect planting this year, it also affected what farmers have seen since.

“Lots of hail, there has been a lot with the storms that have come through,” says Todd Straley of Quarterway Cotton Growers in Plainview, Texas. “We had areas where 4" to 5" of rain fell over a couple of hours, and just completely flooded the fields.”

Storms this weekend were no joke. She gone pic.twitter.com/FiUdYySFLM
— Quentin Shieldknight (@QShieldknight) June 21, 2023

Last year when “U.S. Farm Report” talked to Straley, the drought was drowning out farmers’ hopes. Now, it’s the other extreme kicking in.

“When you get up north of Plainview where I am, up into the northern panhandle in Swisher County, and then even north of I-40, I think I had about 20% of my acres in that area that got planted,” Straley says. “And I don’t think I have an acre of that standing today.”

Bessent says fields in a fairly small area of the Panhandle took the brunt of the damage with field after field with bare stalks, stripped leaves and plants that looked burned.

“Several acres are being affected by that, but it’s really pocketed; it’s not a big splash like one would think that it is,” he says. “From a numbers standpoint, I’d say maybe a couple 100,000 total from our entire service area that’s been impacted by that.

Straley says Plainview and south, the planting and production picture is much better for cotton this year.

“We had roughly 60% of our intended acres, what actually got planted of that 60%, roughly 20% of that has been lost to hail,” Straley says. “So most is still standing underwater, even today, or the plants just got sick and died. So, that would take me to where roughly just a little under 50% of my intended acres are actually standing today.”

Mixed Outlook on Acres

Just launched this week, the Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor asked leading economists to give their projection on acreage. It’s a joint effort between the University of Missouri and Farm Journal.

The survey showed economists think with the weather challenges in areas such as Texas, cotton farmers actually planted 11.24 million acres, with the maximum response of 11.9 million and 10.95 million on the low end.

The responses about crop yields produced more variation. According to respondents in June, economists project cotton production across the U.S. to reach 855.18 lb. versus 841 lb. in the latest USDA report.

Other production estimates in the Monthly Monitor include:

Corn: 178.68 bu. per acre versus 181.5 bu. per acre (USDA’s current estimate)
Soybeans: 51.06 bu. per acre versus 52 bu. per acre
Wheat: 44.47 bu. per acre versus 44.9 bu. per acre
Sorghum: 68.17 bu. per acre versus 69.2 bu. per acre

“I think when you look at both corn and soybean acres, there wasn’t a lot of deviation from the Prospective Plantings report USDA came out with a few months ago, so we didn’t see a big change there,” says Scott Brown, a University of Missouri economist who helps author the survey. “On the yield side, there are certainly some differences. The average yield estimate, on the corn side from the survey was a little more than 178 bu. per acre, with a downside of 175 bu. Likewise on soybeans, that came in at about 51 bu. per acre. Both corn and soybeans are below where USDA currently sees yields. I will say those are going to change quickly as we look at weather and what’s occurred since the survey would have gone out roughly a week ago now.”

Crop Production Outlook for Texas Cotton

The crop might be half of what was expected in the southern panhandle and west Texas, according to Straley, but it is still better than last year’s nightmare for them.

“Honestly, the stuff that got planted and is still standing today looks awesome, and my personal crop looks really, really good,” Straley says. “A lot of my dry land has three and four foot profile underneath it with better moisture than we have seen in a long, long time.

Just look at USDA’s latest look sub soil moisture in this week’s crop progress report. Thirty percent of Texas’ subsoil moisture is considered short to very short. That compares to 72% on April 2, which was USDA’s first crop progress report of the year.

Currently, USDA says one-third of the cotton in Texas is rated good to excellent, but the next test for production is the extreme heat. The omega block is dominating the U.S. and bringing a heat wave in Texas.

“Our growing conditions seem to change day by day,” Peter Dotray, Texas Tech University Weed Scientist in Lubbock, told AgFax. “In early spring it was extremely dry. Then we entered a wet, cool pattern in May and early June. There was also wind and hail, and now we’re back in a dry pattern with temperatures in the high 90s and 100s.”

USDA Acreage and Quarterly Stocks Reports Usually Big Market Movers: Will They Be This Year?

Texas Farmers Pummeled by 20 Inches of Rain, Now It's Too Wet to Plant

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 12:51:17 GMT

Farmers in the Southern Plains have a new battle on their hands. After fighting consecutive multiple years of devastating drought, rains have started to fall with some areas of the Texas Panhandle breaking records for the wettest May ever. The barrage of rainfall means farmers aren’t able to plant, and prevent plant discussions are starting to occur.

Wesley Spurlock farms in Sherman County, Tex. He, and other area farmers, are experiencing a year of firsts.

“This amount of consecutive days of rain, it’s been years since I’ve probably experienced it,” says Spurlock.

9" of rain in the last 10 days
3.8" just today pic.twitter.com/vp5qQH9DTv
— Brady Buxkemper🌵 (@BradyBuxkemper) June 2, 2023

Heavy Rains Could Come at the Cost of Texas Cotton Acres

The issue is the much-needed rain is falling just as farmers are trying to get into the fields to plant this year’s crop.

Just two months ago, farmers talked about the possibility of not planting a crop without any moisture to help get the crop established and out of the ground. Now, farmers are faced with the other extreme.

“From September to the end of April, we got less than a half an inch of moisture during that timeframe,” says Spurlock. “Since the 26th or 28th of April, we’re at 14 to 20 inches of rain.”

In his area of the northern Texas Panhandle, the drought monitor has gone from showing extreme drought conditions, to now abnormally dry, and not even in drought. And that sudden switch means most of his acres haven’t even been planted yet.

“We still have about 80% of our acres to plant,” says Spurlock. “We had about 2,500 to 3,000 acres of cottonwood aimed at planting, and the final planting date on cotton was May 31st.”

Forced to Weigh Prevent Plant Options

USDA’s crop progress report showed only half of the cotton in Texas had been planted as of Monday. With continuous rain still in the forecast, he and other farms are now forced to look at the possibility of prevent plant, something he’s never done.

“On our main farm, it’s never been an option,” says Spurlock. “We’ve never had a problem getting there. We can always plant, we always get to that point.”

He says their family farm has run the numbers, and prevent plant doesn’t pencil there. So, instead of taking that option, they’re looking at switching away from planting cotton to planting more corn and sorghum for silage this year.

Is El Niño to Blame?

But even getting those crops in the ground will face hurdles, as USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says more rain is still on the way.

“The signal of a wetter southern great plains is consistent with El Niño, but this is not due to El Niño,” says Rippey.

According to Rippey, El Niño hasn’t officially formed yet, and even though the signs are screaming that it’s still on the way for a mid to late summer arrival, the recent heavy rains in the Plains isn’t due to El Nino.

“We haven’t seen that teleconnection, that connection between the warm ocean in the eastern Pacific and the atmosphere across North America yet,” he explains. “And that’s the hallmark of El Niño. We expect that to develop later this year.”

When El Niño does arrive, Rippey says it could mean additional wet weather for the southern tier of states, including the southern Plains.

As for Spurlock, he’s hoped and prayed for rain to finally come, and even though it’s causing flooding and keeping him out of the field, he’s not giving up yet.

“We’ve taken every planter that we had in the barn out, we’ve rebuilt them we’ve fixed all the precision on them, and so we’ve got about 260 feet of planter setting on tractors at the moment,” says Spurlock.

He says the plan is to continue to plant corn into June. He says their area has a longer window to plant corn than cotton. Late-planted cotton can hurt the quality of the crop. He says once they plant corn, then they’ll turn their focus on sorghum silage on what would have been cotton acres.

Dust Bowl 2.0? How the Drought is Washing Out Hopes of Texas Cotton Production This Year

Thu, 06 Apr 2023 15:42:12 GMT

Drought continues to tighten its grip across the Plains, and it’s forcing farmers in west Texas to make some very difficult decisions this growing season. Depleted soils, along with bleak forecasts showing little chances for rain anytime soon, is a tough reality for farmers who struggled through a drought ravaged crop season in 2022.

It’s hard to forget the scenes from February. A dust storm tore through the southern plains , unlike anything most area farmers had ever seen.

“We had 90 mile an hour winds here,” says Brad Heffington, a farmer in Littlefield, Texas. “I had six center pivots that went down and it tore stuff up all around the farms. And it just turned sand loose that we hadn’t had before.”

“I’ve been here my entire life and that was one of the worst ones I’ve seen,” says Travis Mires, who farms in O’Donnell, Texas.

The winds kicked up an eerie red cloud of dirt. It also created static electricity that added insult to injury for farmers who were already staring at a bleak winter wheat crop.

The high winds, combined with deep drought, is causing dirt and sand to blow from fields onto roads and highways, even causing some roads to be shut down from so much dirt piled up on the roads. Road crews have been trying to keep roads clear, but it’s been a challenge. Even dryland fields that were planted in cover crops have dried up in some cases, and it’s causing even more dirt and sand to blow.

“We’re fortunate a lot of the ground was covered with wheat for cover crop and grazing, but the chances of a dryland harvest crop on wheat are fading by the day,” says Martin Stoerner, a farmer in Lockney, Texas.

Farmers saw another round of severe winds this week, with brown skies serving as a reminder that the drought is still planted in an area that should be seeing planters rolling for corn or sorghum soon.

From fried fields of rye to roads drifted over with sand and dirt, the scenes are constant reminders of just how brutal the weather can be. And farmers in the area say they try to keep the ground covered with some type of crop during the winter, but with little to no rain this winter, dryland cover crops couldn’t survive.

“Some of my neighbors had cleaned, tilled fields, which drifted over around us, causing us some problems,” says Mires. “It’s not their fault. There’s just not much you can do this at this point.”

Mires’ farm is 45 miles south of Lubbock. He says they’ve seen less than a half inch of rain all winter long, and last year, was a similar story. The ground was already depleted, and with another year of drought, the situation is setting up to be challenging again this year.

“I’ve been farming for 40 something years, and last year was the first year I didn’t have a row of cotton on any of my farms. We didn’t even get our irrigated up,” he says. “Without some help from other nature, with our limited irrigation, we can’t grow a crop.”

With soil moisture profiles already empty, it’s causing more concerns about this year’s crop.

“I’m not trying to be negative but that will probably in worse shape going into this crop than we were last year because we lack even more rain to catch up,” says Heffington. “We’re going to need several rains before we can even plant, because it’s dry 4' or 5' deep.”

Farmers in this area of Texas are just a month away from the start of cotton planting. They are wondering if they’ll even be able to grow a crop on their parched dryland acres this year.

“It’s time for us to start strip tilling and making some decisions about planting stuff, and it’s really scary to do anything because if you put a tractor in the field, there’s a good chance of [the soil] turning loose and blowing out at this point,” says Mires.

As farmers across the Plains weigh their options of what to plant, delaying those decisions has become a growing theme.

“I’ve got cottonseed booked, I’ve got corn seed booked and I’ve got grain sorghum seed booked,” says Herffington. “I don’t know what we’re going to plant.”

“This is probably as late in the year as we’ve ever been undecided on planting intentions,” says Stoerner. “With the ratio of corn to grains, there’s still a chance that some could go to grain, but for the most part in this area, it’s cotton country, but that ratio is more favorable to grain right now.”

Cotton Acres Shrink

USDA’s 2023 Prospective Plantings report released on March 31 showed farmers intend to plant 11.3 million acres of cotton this year, which is down 18% from 2022.

In Texas, USDA says farmers intend to plant 21% fewer acres this year compared to last.

Darren Hudson , professor and Larry Combest chair, ag economics at Texas Tech University, points out the acreage picture could shrink even further, as abandoned acres could be high.

“Especially in this area, they’re going to be big if we don’t get some rain pretty quickly,” he says. “There will be acres planted, it’s still going to be lower than historical, because their grain alternatives are better. But I think we’re going to have a lot of dry land planted acres that may not make it.”

The Cotton Planting Dilemma

It’s no secret cotton acres could see a sharp drop. Last week cotton prices saw a boost, but since last fall, cotton prices have drifted lower.

“I’m a diehard cotton person, that’s made our country out here,” says Heffington. “But right now the market is telling you not to plant it, and it’s crazy. We don’t really understand a lot of the fundamentals of it right now.”

Growers say today’s prices aren’t enough to cover their costs, as input prices are just too high.

Two years ago, 80 cent cotton price would look attractive, but with our high input costs, the current commodity price for cotton is is not covering cost to production,” says Stoerner.

Concerns About Crumbling Cotton Infrastructure

There’s a reason these fields in west Texas are rooted in cotton:

Cotton doesn’t require as much water as corn to be grown, which typically is better suited for their arid climate.
The amount of infrastructure built to support the cotton industry in the area.

“We’re very concerned about infrastructure, especially if we have several back-to-back years of a lesser than desirable base crop because it has a huge toll on them,” says Kody Bessent, CEO of Plains Cotton Growers (PCG) .

Bessent says business after business in west Texas and the Texas Panhandle depend on cotton production each year.

“They rely solely on volume and without that volume, they lose the financial means to maintain overhead to maintain employees and to maintain the doors quite frankly open,” he adds.

Bessent says once Mother Nature does finally provide the much-needed relief, cotton’s raw fiber is one that needs robust infrastructure to process and then market that crop. That’s why PCG is looking for different ways to support an industry that has been a vital piece of the Texas economy.

“I was at an event the other day, and a gentleman in the cotton industry said during the early 90s, there were roughly 520 cotton gins in Texas, and because of some of the catastrophic events we’ve seen over time, we’re down to 184 today,” Bessent says. “So our volume is shrinking.”

PCG is currently working to secure infrastructure assistance at both the state and federal level, knowing these cotton gins have to survive in order for all of Texas’ cotton industry to thrive.

Today, the reality is without essential rains between now and June, the prospects of planting and growing cotton are dwindling by the day.

“As high as input costs are, it’s a big gamble to plant it, hoping it will come up,” says Heffington. “Planting and hoping it’ll come up--that’s just not a very good business decision.”

Weather forecasts point to a weakening La Niña , which could help loosen the drought. However, many longer-range forecasts don’t point to that happening until July, which would be too late for a cotton crop that needs to be planted by early June.

Plagued By Drought and High Input Prices, Cotton Acres Could Crumble This Year

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 20:34:36 GMT

USDA is set to release its March Prospective Plantings report on Friday, which is the industry’s first official look at U.S. crop acres for the year. An area known as the largest cotton patch in the U.S. is seeing another year of relentless drought , and with fields resembling the Dust Bowl, prospects for this year’s crop are dwindling by the day, as is the outlook for this year’s cotton acres.

Brad Heffington farms in Littlefield, Texas, which is just northeast of Lubbock. He’s just five weeks away from what should be the start of planting season for cotton, but now farmers in this area aren’t sure if they’ll even be able to grow a crop on their parched dryland acres.

“I’ve got cottonseed booked, I’ve got corn seed booked and I’ve got grain sorghum seed booked, and I don’t know what we’re going to plant,” Heffington says.

Related Story: What to Know Ahead of USDA’s March 31 Prospective Plantings Report

Reuters’ pre-report trade estimate has U.S. cotton acres at 11.2 million acres. That’s a sharp drop from last year when farmers planted 13.7 million acres.

The National Cotton Council’s planting intensions survey, which is a grower survey done in February, also showed farmers planned to plant 11.4 million acres of cotton, which is 17% lower than last year’s number. Their survey showed the biggest hit to acreage would come from Texas, where growers surveyed showed a 21.2% drop in cotton acres this year.

“Most of the surveys that have come out so far, mainly the Cotton Council cotton grower, are above 11 million acres,” says Darren Hudson , Larry Combest Endowed Chair for Agricultural Competitiveness at Texas Tech University. “If you look at the corn:cotton ratio, which is sort of the historical benchmark that we use, it would predict more like 9.5 to 10 million acres.”

It’s no secret cotton acres could see a sharp drop, but as cotton prices drift lower, growers and economists question why simple fundamentals haven’t fueled the market this year.

“I’m a diehard cotton person, that’s made our country out here, but right now the market is telling you not to plant it,” Heffington says. “And it’s crazy. We don’t really understand a lot of the fundamentals of it right now.”

Related Story: ‘It Looks Like a War Zone': Texas Farmer Describes Wheat Crop Now Ravaged by Sunday’s Derecho and Dust Storm

This week, cotton prices shot higher, with even the October and December contracts above 83¢. The reversal comes after cotton prices plummeted lower in 2022.

“This planting intentions report might move the market a little bit, but we’ll see what happens, but I do think there’s a number of structural issues on the demand side that are probably weighing heavy on the future expectations,” Hudson says.

Take Our Poll: How Much of Your 2023 Inputs Are Locked In?

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 13:30:00 GMT

Early projections show a clear trend of higher input costs for 2023. Of the farmers responding to the January Ag Economy Barometer, 45% cited higher input costs as their top concern in 2023.

In February, 22% of farmers responding to the Ag Economy Barometer said they expect to have a larger farm operating loan than in 2022. Among those expecting a larger loan, 80% said it was due to increases in input costs.

Are these projections causing you to lock in inputs sooner or later? Does it depend on the type of input? Answer our three polls below about locking in seed, fertilizer and chemical needs for 2023.

Powered by Poll Maker

Powered by Poll Maker

Powered by Poll Maker

New Cotton Trait A ‘Game Changer’ For Tarnished Plant Bug, Thrip Control

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 20:34:45 GMT

Cotton growers needing better control of tarnished plant bugs, thrips and other key pests this season have a new tool now available with the biotech trait ThryvOn Technology.

The first-of-its-kind, cotton biotech trait is commercially available to farmers as Bollgard 3 ThryvOn cotton with XtendFlex Technology – just in time for the 2023 production season.

“The ThryvOn Technology offers growers the first built-in protection against key tarnished plant bugs and thrips species. It’s a game changer for the cotton industry,” says Lindsey Battle, Bayer trait marketing and launch lead for regional crops.

The insects are two of the most damaging pests on cotton-producing acres today across the U.S.

Thrips often infest cotton throughout the growing season. However, they are economically significant pests in the crop primarily during the seedling stage. Under severe infestations, 30% to 50% yield loss in cotton can occur (Cook et al. 2011).

Tarnished plant bug can cause damage to cotton at any growth stage, with most of the economic damage occurring from first-square until early bloom. The pest is the most economically damaging insect pest of cotton in the Mid-South region of the United States, including the states of Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee and Missouri (Musser et al. 2007, Gore et al. 2012).

Reduced Number Of Foliar Spray Applications Possible
In Bayer’s Ground Breakers Field Trials program in 2021 and 2022 the ThryvOn Technology reduced average, season-long injury from both pests.

“In both years, we did not have any agronomic consultants recommend a spray for thrips,” Battle says.

With tarnished plant bugs, the number of foliar insecticide applications cotton growers needed to make varied depending on the pressure level during each of the two years.

“We saw a different reduction in the number of sprays between 2021, which was a higher tarnished plant bug season, and then in 2022, which was a lower plant bug year. But on average, what we’re seeing is a reduction of between one to two sprays, depending on the pressure,” Battle says.

In addition, field tests showed ThryvOn Technology provided a 6.1% increase in square retention in fields affected by key plant bug species, compared to the negative check.

Farmers Value Spring Planting Flexibility
Anecdotally, one of the interesting and beneficial aspects of the new biotech trait is the planting flexibility farmers have told Battle they believe it offers.

“They’ve told us they can plant the ThryvOn Technology cotton products first, because of the control of thrips, and then they can come back and plant their remaining varieties. So, they are getting most or all their cotton planted before they have to start worrying about managing (insects),” she says.

Along with controlling key thrips and tarnished plant bugs species, the new technology provides a broad spectrum of protection against bollworm, tobacco budworm, and other common worm pests, as well as more options against tough-to-control and resistant weeds like Palmer amaranth, waterhemp and marestail.

“Bayer continues to be the leader in research and innovation when it comes to cotton,” said Battle. “Bollgard 3 ThryvOn cotton with XtendFlex Technology continues the tradition of providing growers with state-of-the-art tools and technologies that help them preserve their fields and protect their legacy.”

To learn more about purchasing the new technology, which will be available through Deltapine and licensees, growers can talk to their seed dealer or visit traits.bayer.com/Pages/Thryvon

Farming for the Future in the Heart of the Mississippi Delta

Cotton Tug-of-War: Production and Prices Battle It Out for 2023

John Phipps: What’s Really Going On With Cotton?

Farmer Ground-Truths Numbers on Wide Rows, Low Pops and Profitability

Cotton Tug-of-War: Production and Prices Battle It Out for 2023

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 16:25:07 GMT

Cotton production will hang by the thin threads of demand in 2023 — and prices will likely sway in the 80¢ to 85¢ per pound range, depending on La Niña’s trajectory. Patience might be the most valuable tool for producers this year, especially when it comes to navigating the economic landscape.

Prices and Production

“New crop December 2023 futures are in the neighborhood of 80¢,” says Don Shurley, University of Georgia’s professor emeritus of cotton economics. “This does not inspire cotton acreage but much will also depend on the price of competing crops, production costs and the individual farm situation dictating rotation and flexibility,” he explains.

Mark Jekanowski, USDA Outlook Board chairman, recently shared his takeaways from USDA’s most recent supply and demand report and sheds light on what to expect in terms of production and trade for the upcoming marketing year:

U.S. production is forecasted at 14.68 million bales.
Global production is projected at 115.40 million bales.
World consumption is down to 110.9 million bales due to decreased use in India, Indonesia and Vietnam.
U.S. exports are forecasted at 12 million bales, down from 14.6 million bales in 2021/22.
Global exports are forecasted at 41.7 million bales, down from 42.9 million bales in the previous marketing year.
U.S. ending stocks are expected to be 4.2 million bales, representing 30% of projected use.

Challenges

It is no secret the cotton industry’s infrastructure capacity continues to stretch beyond comfortable levels, especially in the Western states. It is also no surprise producers are cautious and apprehensive when it comes to scaling current operations due to inflation, a shifting La Nina and lingering logistical challenges.

Inflation seems to be one of the biggest obstacles facing producers. Jeff Thompson of Autauga Quality Cotton predicts additional rate hikes in the coming months.

“As expected, the Fed raised interest rates for the fourth time this year. Smaller than those previous, it was their comments afterward that shook both equity and commodity markets,” he says. “Even though consumer prices fell in November to an annualized rate of 7.1%, down sharply from June’s 9.1%, the red-hot labor market has the Fed believing high inflation will continue through 2023 thereby suggesting additional rate hikes will be forthcoming.”

During a recent roundtable discussion hosted by the Ag Market Network, O.A. Cleaveland of Mississippi State University discussed the infrastructure challenges pertaining to the rising cost of equipment.

“With this kind of additional risk it’s just more and more headache and pencil pushing,” which impacts everyone from producers to the mill, Cleveland says.

Brad Pippington, a producer also on the roundtable discussion, says farmers are “at the point they don’t know where to sharpen it anymore.”

Although drought conditions in the South have caused concerns, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is forecasting the La Niña advisory to continue through the winter, with hopes of a spring slowdown.

“That typically means a lot of clipper systems and bouts of cold air for northern areas, while leaving the South warmer and drier,” says John Baranick, NOAA meteorologist.

For daily news and updates, sign up for AgFax’s Cotton After Hours .

For boots-in-the-field reports during the season, sign up for AgFax’s Southwest Cotton, Southeast Cotton or Midsouth Cotton newsletters .

John Phipps: What's Really Going On With Cotton?

Mon, 10 Oct 2022 18:09:06 GMT

A question from Anthony Pasket in Anderson, Texas about the cotton industry

“The Cotton Industry has experienced great change in the United States over the years, I have been connected to the Cotton Harvesting end of it. Do you think Cotton will continue to be grown in the United States or will it fade away in 20 or 50 years and only be grown outside the U.S.?”

I’ve wondered about this industry myself, even though this isn’t cotton country. I think the answer will depend on three main factors: competition, climate, and clothing.

While we are the largest global exporter of cotton, we lag behind India and China in production. Meanwhile an amazing 93% of the 2021 crop was exported. We grow cotton – we don’t use it. Like all commodities, cotton competitors are benefiting from the extremely strong dollar, which makes our cotton more expensive compared to other countries.

Competition also includes other crops, especially in the Mid-South. Strong soybean and to a lesser extent corn and wheat prices can push growers to those crops. Weed control is adding to the cotton production problem.

Climate is becoming a larger and larger factor, both due to weather conditions and water needs. I think we can anticipate cotton acreage to continue to drop, as well as Oklahoma. Texas is suffering a deep drought this year as well but is not included in the decades-long megadrought area. Climate also is challenging global competitors like India, so shifts in production areas are difficult to predict.

These are familiar problems for commodity producers. But cotton also has a huge competition problem with a unique competitor: oil. Oil is used to produce polyester, and polyester fiber has become the dominant clothing fabric. It is very hard to by clothing without some polyester in it. Even more advanced manufacturing processes turn out polyester for fake fur to silky dresses.

The biggest driver has been stretchy clothing both for comfort and looks. Additionally, Congress seems willing to subsidize the small number of cotton growers extravagantly.

Mix these all together and the best I can predict I doubt cotton will be a growth industry in the U.S. future.

Even Irrigated Cotton Acres in West Texas Now Struggle To Hang On As Scars Of 2022 Drought Could Last A Lifetime

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 20:40:08 GMT

An aerial snapshot of Hale County, Texas, tells the story best. A year of minimal rain and extreme heat has produced a scene that looks more like the dead of winter instead of peak summer. Shades of brown, along with the occasional pop of green, are vivid signs of just how devastating the drought of 2022 is for area farmers and the cotton crop.

“This is going to leave a scar that guys are going to remember forever,” says Todd Straley of Quarterway Cotton Growers in Plainview, Texas.

Quarterway Cotton Growers is one of several cotton gins in the area, and Straley manages it. The infrastructure is supported by an area known for growing cotton.

This year, the cotton crop is in jeopardy as the region is experiencing the highest level of drought measured by U.S. Drought Monitor. Without help from Mother Nature, much of the dryland crop is gone and even irrigated acres are fighting to hang on.

Related News: The Drought is Worse than 2011 for an Area Known as the Largest Cotton Patch in the U.S.

“We expected at the beginning of the season to be getting somewhere just slightly over 100,000 bales this year,” explains Straley. “Today it looks like we’re going to be somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000.”

Worse Than 2011

The outlook for 15% to 20% of the expected production could be the worst crop on record for this area of Texas. The last time the crop looked this poor was during the devastating drought of 2011.

“I can tell you in 2011 this particular area did 40,000 bales,” he says.

Steven Ebeling is a young farmer from Plainview, Texas, who farms near Quarterway Cotton Growers. He says 2011 still stings.

“I remember it very vividly,” Ebeling says. “I spent every day building fences and moving cows.”

His outlook is much like Straley’s; 2022 may be worse, largely because the aquifer is depleted, and he doesn’t have as much irrigation water available.

“In 2011, we had more water capacity than what we do now,” Ebeling says . “Whether it was smart or not, we were able to push a crop in 2011 and make that crop. This year, our aquifer is depleted to the point we’ve turned this into a salvage operation already.”

Ebeling admits farming in west Texas is never easy, but 2022 has been exceptionally tough and a brutal blow to farmers trying to make a crop. Ebeling’s first-hand account of the damage drought has already done is proof of that.

“We don’t have an acre of dryland left; it’s all been failed out. Most of it never even sprouted,” he says. “It’s pretty sad most of this crop is already starting to give it up. It never really even had a fighting chance, to be honest.”

High Heat Scorches Crop Prospects

It’s not just the drought that’s been unbearable for the crops. The heat is also slamming potential.

The National Weather Service (NWS) says so far this year, Lubbock, Texas, has seen 29 days with temperatures above 100 degrees. Sixteen of those came in July, and more are forecasted to hit in August.

“The only plants that are green or even alive are under a pivot,” says Ebeling.

Ebeling still hopes to salvage 80% of his irrigated crop, which is much better than other farmers in the area. But the recent triple-digit heat means the number of irrigated fields that fail this year will more than likely grow.

“I like to make a crop,” he adds. “That’s why I farm. I enjoy growing a crop. It makes me feel good. That’s what gets me up in the morning. It is an absolute last resort to have to turn off of a crop.”

Irrigated Acres Struggling to Survive

Darren Hudson is Larry Combest Endowed Chair and an agricultural economist at Texas Tech University. He says it’s stories like Ebeling’s play out out all across the High Plains this year.

“It’s horrible,” says Hudson. “I don’t know there’s any other way to describe it.”

Considering crop prospects dwindle by the day, and the dryland crop is already gone, Hudson says it’s a stark reminder of the crop in 2011.

“What we’re seeing now is there are a lot of irrigated acres that have been plowed up, that’s just not worth taking it to harvest,” says Hudson.

Hudson says USDA was aggressive in its July forecast, putting current U.S. cotton abandonment at 32%, which is the third highest on record. Much of that crop loss is due to the drought in Texas.

“I think the abandonment number that USDA is working with at this point is probably far too low for this region,” he says.

Hudson has talked to farmers across the region and he says most are making difficult decisions daily about fields that are too far gone to try to save.

“We had 2011, and then we’re following it up, 11 years later with another catastrophic failure,” says Hudson. “We’ve had a few droughts in between, we have gins that aren’t opening at all this year, we’ve got some ginners that are combining efforts.”

Economic Losses Could Be in the Billions

It’s the infrastructure piece of the puzzle that is troubling for economists and communities.

Texas accounts for 42% of total U.S. cotton production , and the majority of that is grown around Lubbock, which is known as the largest cotton patch in the U.S.

“We’re looking at figures possibly in the billions of dollars worth of lost economic activity for the region,” adds Hudson.

As a gin manager, Straley understands how vital cotton is to not just his gin, but the entire area.

“This drought is going to have a huge impact on West Texas, and Texas in general, for our entire lifetime,” says Straley.

His gin is in a strong enough financial shape to weather the storm this year, but he’s making changes because the crop just isn’t there.

“Instead of running for three and four months, 24 hours a day, we will more than likely run for one month and just run one 12-hour shift,” he says.

Straley points out the drought means fewer employees and a large reduction in the need to hire for other jobs. For example, he says the gin will do fewer repairs, which will mean less demand for those jobs that also support the cotton ginning industry. He says overall, the drought is doing major damage to the infrastructure in these small towns.

“These cotton gins, we don’t have insurance, we don’t have anything that that kind of keep our coffers full and keeps us keeps us going,” he adds.

As farmers weigh what to do with the crops barely hanging on, water remains a precious commodity.

“Our price per inch of water in this area has probably doubled in the last five years to the point that it becomes a question of if some of this is even economically valuable to water it or do you just shut it off,” he adds.

Rains fell across portions of the Texas Panhandle over the weekend, with as much as 7" falling in one location. The areas surrounding Lubbock were not so lucky. Where rain did fall, it only amounted to a trace. And if more rain doesn’t fall soon, there are more tough decisions many farmers here may be forced to make.

“If we don’t get a rain in the next 30 days, we’re going to have to go through that decision [to walk away from crops] again,” says Ebeling.

Dealing with the Depression of Drought

Battling the drought has forced to make this year are nothing short of depressing for farmers who do everything they can to grow yields.

“Maybe one of the largest challenges in agriculture, honestly, is the weather and the market impacts on our mental health,” says Ebeling.

Concerns about farmers’ mental health could be the biggest issue for Texas farmers this year.

“I try to call all of my farmers every couple of weeks and just have a mental health checkup,” says Straley.

A simple phone call is something he started doing as the reality of the drought set in.

“It really helps these guys to kind of get out of their head a little bit and remember that there is a world outside of the stress that they’re living in, in the moment,” he adds.

That short chat comes with a vital reminder in a time when many here feel helpless- and hopeless- staring at these brown and barren fields.

The Drought is Worse than 2011 for an Area Known as the Largest Cotton Patch in the U.S.

Fri, 22 Jul 2022 14:58:36 GMT

Nearly 57% of Texas is in extreme drought, and with the most severe level of it parked over West Texas and the Texas Panhandle, the drought is starting to rob even irrigated cotton fields of a crop.

USDA’s supply and demand report earlier this month showed higher cotton abandonment due to deepening drought in Texas. The harvested area is to be nearly 600,000 acres less - or 32% abandonment - which is the third-highest on record.

The last time Texas saw cotton production forecasts so bleak was in the drought of 2011. Then, multiple days of triple-digit heat, combined with deepening drought, pushed abandonment to a record 36%. This year, the situation for farmers around Lubbock is worse, as the drought started earlier, and now the consecutive days of temperatures in the triple digits, along with no rain, is creating historically dry conditions.

“The biggest problem in West Texas is there’s absolutely nothing to fall back on,” says Brad Rippey, USDA meteorologist. “There’s no subsoil moisture. Or there’s very little topsoil moisture. And so with each day of triple-digit heat continuing to add insult to injury, we’ve got more than 70% of the U.S. cotton crop considered to be in a drought area right now.”

John Robinson, a Texas A&M economist and Extension specialist for cotton marketing, also expects USDA’s abandonment forecast to grow due to the drought situation around Lubbock. But he says the entire state’s crop isn’t as bad as 2011.

“As bad of a start as the crop had, and as bad as the weather rain forecast looks going forward, it wouldn’t surprise me at all for USDA to bump it up, for the actual abandonment rate to climb from here,” he says. “Whether it’ll exceed 36% is anybody’s guess. But this is one of those historically very bad years.”

“Many producers are struggling to keep up with irrigation requirements for corn and cotton. There’s already corn being abandoned in the northwest Panhandle. Irrigated corn in the eastern Panhandle looks good, but corn south of Amarillo and toward Hereford is struggling.”

Cotton Price Conundrum

Despite the expectation for the loss of acres to grow in a key cotton production area, cotton prices continue to fall. December prices fell to 91 cents on Thursday.

“It doesn’t seem as if fundamentals matter, compared to where we were a month or two ago,” says Robinson. “Now, the other way to look at that is we were in a period of exceptionally high prices in the last year and a half. And frankly, fundamentals didn’t justify prices going over $1 or over $1.20. They got to $1.50 something, the new crop got to $1.30.”

Robinson said the run-up in prices over the past year is attributed to pandemic recovery and the amount of economic activity generated from consumers continuing to buy clothes and other cotton-based goods.

“But I can’t explain anything that’s happened in the last few weeks,” he says. “I mean, it dropped 30 cents in two weeks, and 30 cents in a drought just shocks me. I don’t know how to explain it.”

Cotton

Cotton Prices Rally, But Reality is Growers Are Still Chasing Break-Even for 2026

Global Supply Questions Add Support

Demand Still Lags Expectations

China’s Role Still Matters at the Margin

Reality is Profitability Remains Out of Reach

Long-Term Pressure from Synthetics

Cautious Optimism Ahead

Cotton Acres Projected to Slide Again in 2026 as Economic Pressures Mount

The Economic Squeeze: Why the Shift?

Farmers Are Walking Away From Cotton

Inside the Survey: A Coast-to-Coast Breakdown of 2026 Intentions

Mid-South: The Sharpest Decline

Southwest: A Patchwork of Growth

The West: Upland Down, ELS Up

Looking Ahead: A New Safety Net With Long-Term Gains vs. Short-Term Pain

Reclaiming the Market: “Plant, Not Plastic”

The first is the “Buy American Cotton Act,” a proposal to offer tax credits to brands and retailers that document the use of U.S.-grown cotton.

Looking Ahead: The Path to Recovery for Cotton

Unlock Savings and Boost Yields: Why Post-Harvest Soil Testing is Crucial for Cotton Growers

Cotton Bolls Are Opening, Harvest Aids On Deck

Jostling with Jassid

Record Prevent Plant Acres Cause Devastation for Southern Farmers

Cotton Acres Expected to Sink to 10-Year Low in 2025

Cotton Farmers Describe Somber Situation: 'We've Gone Beyond Losing Money to Now Losing the Farm'

Once Again, Weather Cuts Cotton Yields Short in the Southwest

Georgia Farmers Say Hurricane Helene is Most Catastrophic, Costly Storm Ever

U.S. Southeast Faces Daunting Cleanup from Helene as Death Toll Rises

Growing a Crop This Year is Crucial for Drought-Stricken Texas Farmers, 2024 is Now Make or Break For Many

The 2024 Cotton Planting Picture

The Fallout From Two Consecutive Years of Devastating Drought

A Crucial Year for Cotton Farmers

The Biggest Wild Card For Cotton Acres and Prices in 2024

Related News: Where Did All the Corn Acres and Principal Crop Acres Go? The Two Biggest Questions from USDA’s Big Prospective Plantings Report

Cotton Demand

No Dryland Crop to Harvest: West Texas Cotton Farmers Open Up About the Harsh Realities of 2023

Harsh Realities of 2023

Dryland Crop is Nonexistent

Tough Start

Largest Cotton Patch in the U.S.

Related Stories:

Southwest Georgia Cotton Yields a Nice Surprise for One Farmer

Related Story: East-Central Texas Farmer Blown Away By Cotton Yields This Year

High Heat

“Money Bolls” at the Bottom

High-Quality Cotton Due to Dry Weather

West Tennessee Farmer Says He Just Harvested the Best Cotton Crop of His Life

Ideal Growing Conditions

Related News:

Southwest Georgia Weather Far From Ideal For Growing Cotton in 2023, Yet Harvest Yields a Nice Surprise for One Farmer

East-Central Texas Farmer Blown Away By Cotton Yields This Year

East-Central Texas Farmer Blown Away By Cotton Yields This Year

Southwest Cotton Needs a Rebound

Not All Yields Were Terrible

Texas Farmers Battle Wild Weather at Planting, Prompts USDA to Cut Cotton Acres in June Report

Read More: Game Changer for Soybeans? USDA Ignites Fireworks in the Markets With Two Major Acreage Surprises

Crop-Killing Hail

Mixed Outlook on Acres

Crop Production Outlook for Texas Cotton

Related Story:

Texas Farmers Pummeled by 20 Inches of Rain, Now It's Too Wet to Plant

Heavy Rains Could Come at the Cost of Texas Cotton Acres

Forced to Weigh Prevent Plant Options

Is El Niño to Blame?

Dust Bowl 2.0? How the Drought is Washing Out Hopes of Texas Cotton Production This Year

The Cotton Planting Dilemma

Concerns About Crumbling Cotton Infrastructure

Plagued By Drought and High Input Prices, Cotton Acres Could Crumble This Year

Related Story: What to Know Ahead of USDA’s March 31 Prospective Plantings Report

Related Story: ‘It Looks Like a War Zone': Texas Farmer Describes Wheat Crop Now Ravaged by Sunday’s Derecho and Dust Storm

Take Our Poll: How Much of Your 2023 Inputs Are Locked In?

New Cotton Trait A ‘Game Changer’ For Tarnished Plant Bug, Thrip Control

Cotton Tug-of-War: Production and Prices Battle It Out for 2023

Prices and Production

Challenges

John Phipps: What's Really Going On With Cotton?

Even Irrigated Cotton Acres in West Texas Now Struggle To Hang On As Scars Of 2022 Drought Could Last A Lifetime

Worse Than 2011

High Heat Scorches Crop Prospects

Irrigated Acres Struggling to Survive