Cotton

Cotton futures slumped more than 3% on Thursday as a U.S. government report showed a sharp slide in weekly export sales, putting prices of the natural fiber on course for their third straight weekly decline.

Cotton futures edged lower in choppy trading on Monday, pressured by a firmer dollar, while expectations for a reduction to forecasts for planted acreage in a federal report due later this week put a floor under prices.

ICE cotton futures fell on Wednesday to the lowest in more than a month on a stronger dollar and expectations that rainfall in Texas would be beneficial for the natural fiber crop

Johnny Dickerson, an arrowhead hunting warhorse with a bootstrap tale and over 4,000 showpiece points, is a classic American individualist with no concern for conformity.

The dollar rules, but planting decisions are often complex— even when commodities are shining.

Crops don’t wait for irrigation, and now means now when it’s time to water. Solid end-of-season irrigation maintenance goes a long way in preventing problems the following crop year during crunch-time. Before the grip of winter sets in, checks and repairs are vital.

Bill Bader is the bell cow of dicamba drift litigation, with farmers in at least 10 states right behind him. How the cases will play out remains a matter of conjecture, but one fact is clear: Dicamba-related litigation has only just begun.

Numerous companies are pushing for elbow room at the ag data table, but long-term contracts may be cause for pause for many farmers.

Just an hour and forty-fives south of the Iowa state line, 15-year-old Garrett Heil’s cotton is a testament to the determination of a remarkable farmer not old enough to qualify for a driver’s license. Heil has succeeded in producing cotton deep in the pocket of the Midwest.

Big cotton is in the harvest cards, according to USDA’s latest report. Low commodity prices for corn, grain sorghum and soybeans pulled in more cotton acreage in 2017, and the numbers are reflected in USDA’s latest estimates.