One of my favorite trips of the year is about to occur, and it promises to be just as rewarding as the previous ones of the past decade. It’s the Cotton Farming staff’s annual trek to Lubbock, Texas, for the Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association Annual Meeting and Trade Show. For more than 20 years, our magazine has co-sponsored this show, and to say that it has been a rewarding experience doesn’t really say it all.
Through the years, we have cultivated many friends in the country’s No. 1 cotton production state. Whether it’s producers, ginners, equipment manufacturers or friends of the industry. What makes this trip so rewarding is that we also get to attend the Plains Cotton Growers’ annual meeting, which is conducted on Friday, April 10, at the Lubbock Civic Center. It’s a jam-packed two days at the trade show, plus meetings in the Civic Center as well as the Overton Hotel just five minutes away. It seems that the Texas cotton industry has had to deal with a different kind of issue every year, but this group of farmers and ginners always finds a way to survive the crisis. For the past three years, a persistent drought has created the biggest challenge of all. But, as many had predicted, the drought seems to have subsided, and steady rainfall patterns have moved through all parts of the state in the last two or three months.
If you thought you’d find some gloom and doom at the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show in Memphis, you were probably shocked. Producers, ginners and industry representatives have chosen to take the high road in dealing with low cotton prices. Yes, this Beltwide trend is a major concern – especially in the Mid-South where acreage shifts are more common. And, yes, acres will be reduced in this five-state area to one of the lowest levels we’ve seen in years…1.1 million acres. That’s a 26 percent drop compared to 2014.
What we saw and heard wasn’t a doomsday attitude. Far from it. What we observed were glimmers of hope as prices creeped up into the mid-60 cent range. Industry experts such as Memphis merchant Joe Nicosia hit on some of the familiar themes in his presentation at the Ag Update. He said China controls much of what might happen in the next few years in terms of US cotton exports. But he said producers can deal with this environment if they embrace cotton as an important crop...
OK, I’ll admit that I am overly sentimental and nostalgic about events from the past. It doesn’t matter whether we’re talking about high school, college, old neighborhoods, careers or anything else. There is something very entertaining and special when we reminisce about our past. And as we prepare for the National Cotton Council’s Annual Meeting at the Peabody Hotel here in Memphis on Feb. 6-8, I can’t help but recall the first NCC Annual Meeting I attended in January of 1986 in Orlando, Fla.
The industry and NCC have changed a lot since those days, but it’s interesting how first impressions stay with us for a lifetime. That is how it was 29 years ago. I had only worked in the NCC Communications Department for less than six months when I made the trip to this meeting. Naturally, I was a bit apprehensive since I didn’t know that many people in the industry. However, before this meeting ended, I found that my circle of friends would increase dramatically – mainly because cotton people might be the most congenial folks in the world.
The change in leadership at the National Cotton Council will be smooth and without any problems when the organization has its annual meeting at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis in February. Although no official announcement has been made, everyone...
We have heard the phrase “trickle-down economics” ever since Ronald Reagan was president from 1981 to 1988, and I always had a hard time understanding what that phrase meant. I kept envisioning a water faucet that was leaking – ultimately causing a big problem for whoever owned it. OK, I probably knew more than that. At any rate, I don’t know if the closing of the denim mill in Littlefield, Texas, is a victim of this kind of economic trend. But I do know that when cotton started losing market share to polyester a few years ago, it ultimately meant that mills previously using a lot of cotton would be in trouble.
When cotton prices went to $1.50 and higher just a few years ago, it might’ve seemed like a way for the farmer to reap the profits. But, it wasn’t the case at all. Ultimately, it drove a lot of mills toward man-made fibers, and now it’s a case of the U.S. cotton industry doing everything it can to recapture that demand. For the past few years, the National Cotton Council, Cotton Council International and Cotton Incorporated have launched a highly successful campaign called “Cotton Leads.” Its basic mission is to carry a message to all mills that the United States and Australia are doing their part to promote best management practices, superior quality in...
I saw an encouraging report recently about the reading habits of young farmers and ranchers, and it made me think about what lies ahead for agriculture. The article was written by Jack Semler of Readex Research. According to this group’s latest poll, 81 percent of young farmers under the age of 44 continue to read printed trade magazines. More amazing is that 74 percent of this group turns to ag magazines and newspapers first and then to their local dealer and retailer when they want new information about ag products, equipment, services or suppliers. I always knew that older farmers were one of the most loyal groups when it came to reading a printed trade publication. But, I had always thought that younger farmers were more tech-savy and not necessarily attracted to printed publications as much as their parents. I must say it’s very good news to know that younger farmers aren’t like...
By this time, you’ve already seen numerous stories about the passing of Dr. Carl Anderson, renowned Texas A&M economist who had a global reputation for analyzing and understanding the cotton market. And there isn’t much we can add to that long list of tributes. This man, who passed away at the age of 83, was a walking encyclopedia and could talk for hours about market trends in cotton. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention his generosity and patience whenever we called on him to help us at Cotton Farming magazine. Even during my days at the National Cotton Council (1985-1998), I can remember doing radio interviews with Anderson, and one constant theme always came through. He couldn’t say “no” to any request.
I can remember when the International Cotton Institute opened its doors 20 years ago, and the optimism was high as the American Cotton Shippers Association ventured into a new arena for educating young cotton leaders. There have been different cotton schools through the years that attempted to give instruction to students on how to succeed in the volatile world of cotton trading. But this new school would be different. First, it wouldn’t be a school that lasted a week or two that gave only an elementary view of what goes on...
Every time I have a chance to meet the younger generation of ag leaders in this country, it gives me a good feeling. That’s how I felt recently when I met a small group representing this year’s National Cotton...
When I looked at the weather map recently and saw that a large area of the Texas High Plains was receiving significant rainfall, I thought I was dreaming. The months have turned into years as this region has awaited...
Through the years I've seen plenty of cotton crops that were remarkable and memorable. And the farmers who produced those crops were equally deserving of praise for what they accomplished. When you read our cover story on pages 8...
A few months ago, a significant event occurred in the U.S. cotton industry, and some of us are a bit late in acknowledging just how important it was. Earl Williams, the long-time executive vice president of the California...
There was a time when I was younger that National Agriculture Day didn’t resonate with me the way it does now. I was a city kid growing up in the suburbs of northeast Memphis. I just didn’t have an...
There was a time when I was younger that National Agriculture Day didn’t resonate with me the way it does now. I was a city kid growing up in the suburbs of northeast Memphis. I just didn’t have an...
For many years, you’ve heard me talk about the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show in Memphis, Tenn., as one of the most informative and entertaining ag events of the year. Last week’s show continued that tradition in many ways....
