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| Directions l American Farm Bureau l Farm Bureau Bank l Privacy Policy l Contact Us l Help l Site Map |
The Voice of Louisiana Agriculture
Welcome to the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation
| Directions l American Farm Bureau l Farm Bureau Bank l Privacy Policy l Contact Us l Help l Site Map |
Welcome to the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation
Welcome to the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation
The Voice of Louisiana Agriculture
NEW ORLEANS-- The United States is the third largest player in the world cotton industry behind China
and India and to pull ahead, American cotton farmers must reduce short fiber content to improve cotton
quality, and streamline the flow of U.S. cotton to the export market.
That was part of the message Drayton Mayers, president and chief executive officer of the Cotton Board in
Memphis, brought to producers during the Cotton Conference held at the 87th Annual Louisiana Farm
Bureau Federation Convention here Saturday. “The new realities about agriculture and the world today,”
was the theme of Mayers’s presentation.
“The reality I want to talk about is China and how it relates to the U.S. cotton industry,” Mayers said. “China
is the largest player in the cotton market. It is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of cotton in the
world.”
To compete for the China cotton market, American cotton producers are going to have to get leaner in their
production, while concentrating on research and development that increases cotton quality.
“U.S. producers need to improve the efficiency of the cotton flow,” Mayers said. “They need to streamline
the flow of cotton to the export market. U.S. producers also need to reduce short fiber content to improve
their cotton quality.”
Other issues discussed during the conference included 2008 Farm Bill implementations. The sign-up
deadline for the 2009 program has been extended to Aug. 14.
“But the Farm Plan Status date remains the same,” said Craig Brown, vice president of producer affairs for
the National Cotton Council in Memphis. “The June 1 date didn’t get extended, so all of the paperwork for
your Farm Plan Status must be dated June 1.”
In a report on the Boll Weevil Eradication Program, Mark Bordelon of the Louisiana Department of
Agriculture and Forestry, said weevil counts for this year, as of Saturday, June 27, in Northeast Louisiana
were down 94 percent from the same time last year.
“A total of 158 weevils were caught in Northeast Louisiana,” Bordelon said. “A reduction of weevils caught
shows the program is working.”
Bordelon also reported a total of 225,000 acres of cotton were planted in Louisiana this year, down 60,000
acres from last year.
and India and to pull ahead, American cotton farmers must reduce short fiber content to improve cotton
quality, and streamline the flow of U.S. cotton to the export market.
That was part of the message Drayton Mayers, president and chief executive officer of the Cotton Board in
Memphis, brought to producers during the Cotton Conference held at the 87th Annual Louisiana Farm
Bureau Federation Convention here Saturday. “The new realities about agriculture and the world today,”
was the theme of Mayers’s presentation.
“The reality I want to talk about is China and how it relates to the U.S. cotton industry,” Mayers said. “China
is the largest player in the cotton market. It is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of cotton in the
world.”
To compete for the China cotton market, American cotton producers are going to have to get leaner in their
production, while concentrating on research and development that increases cotton quality.
“U.S. producers need to improve the efficiency of the cotton flow,” Mayers said. “They need to streamline
the flow of cotton to the export market. U.S. producers also need to reduce short fiber content to improve
their cotton quality.”
Other issues discussed during the conference included 2008 Farm Bill implementations. The sign-up
deadline for the 2009 program has been extended to Aug. 14.
“But the Farm Plan Status date remains the same,” said Craig Brown, vice president of producer affairs for
the National Cotton Council in Memphis. “The June 1 date didn’t get extended, so all of the paperwork for
your Farm Plan Status must be dated June 1.”
In a report on the Boll Weevil Eradication Program, Mark Bordelon of the Louisiana Department of
Agriculture and Forestry, said weevil counts for this year, as of Saturday, June 27, in Northeast Louisiana
were down 94 percent from the same time last year.
“A total of 158 weevils were caught in Northeast Louisiana,” Bordelon said. “A reduction of weevils caught
shows the program is working.”
Bordelon also reported a total of 225,000 acres of cotton were planted in Louisiana this year, down 60,000
acres from last year.
China: The New Reality for U.S. Cotton Industry
By A. DENISE ATTAWAY
FB News Contributing Writer
FB News Contributing Writer
