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.
By the time most of you read this story, a busy summer will have come to an end, and we will be moving full speed into the fall season. It’s hard to believe time is moving by so quickly. Suffice it to say but it was an extremely busy June, July and August.
Although you’ve heard about the trip I took to Montana for the National Cotton Council’s Multi-Commodity Education Tour and the Southern Cotton Ginners’ summer meeting in Branson, Mo., other recent events are worth mentioning.
While there are other field day events on the calendar in September, I would be remiss...
By Robert Royal
Midnight, Miss.
[email protected]
As I pedaled my new bike down the dusty turnrow toward the barn, I noticed bolls opening in the cotton field along the way, and I smelled the acrid stench of defoliant in the air. Inside...
Southern cotton ginners know how to adapt to changing market conditions. In fact, you might say that they have rewritten the book on this topic in the last few years.
That "flexibility" was a major topic of discussion at the...
FLORIDA David Wright
Even though we can set fruit through early September, most cotton fields have the crop set that will be harvested, and many will be defoliating in late September or early October. Cotton generally had a late start...
USDA Accepting Comments On Monsanto’s New Technology
USDA is now accepting public comments on the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Monsanto's next generation dicamba-tolerant weed management technologies, Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans and Bollgard II XtendFlex cotton....
Through the years, I have found that it's easier to go to an expert when you want to learn more about any segment of the U.S. cotton industry. Believe it or not, there is always somebody around to answer...
Australian and U.S. cotton producers annually devote $20 million and $50 million, respectively, to agricultural research. This investment: 1) enables them to achieve continual and substantial environmental improvements; 2) eliminates the alternative of farm level certification programs; and 3) extends the research activity beyond the farm gate to all sectors associated with the manufacture of cotton yarns, textiles and apparel.
Arkansas Producer Sam Stuckey's Crop
Has Weathered The Storm
Cotton has always had a reputation for being able to withstand a lot of adversity during a long production season. If you want proof of that statement, pay a visit to the...
The Texas Cotton Ginners' Association summer meeting at the Lost Pines Resort near Austin and Bastrop was dominated by one theme – the potential for a bigger crop in 2014.
Timely rains earlier this summer created an excellent opportunity for...
When I learned that I’d be traveling to Montana earlier this summer with a group of cotton farmers, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. But I had a pretty good idea that it would be a fabulous time for everybody. Believe it or not, I had a positive experience two years ago when I traveled with a similar group to North Dakota – and I knew this trip might be even better.
Nematodes – those microscopic pests that attack a plant's roots and adversely affect cotton yields – can cause enough headaches for a farmer to last a lifetime. Whether it's reniform or root-knot, this pest can often go undetected...
Can a cotton producer learn anything valuable after spending a week in Montana? To the uniformed outsider, that would be a logical question. For participants in this summer's Multi-Commodity Education Program (MCEP) tour, it all makes sense now.
This program...
