NAFB President Elect Tony St. James (KFLP/KDDD, Floydada, TX) said, “Fields of white are common across West Texas, especially in the fall, as cotton bolls open to reveal the Fabric of Our Lives. Unfortunately for some producers on the Texas High Plains (the largest growing region in the United States), late-planted cotton gave way to an ice storm in late November and a blizzard in late December turning the crop into a sea of red.” Tony explains, “Pressured by Chinese policy and reduced demand for cotton worldwide, prices have fallen below the cost of production leaving many producers upside down in 2015. Despite decent yields the cotton industry is hurting.” The pain doesn't stop at the farm gate either, Tony adds, Cotton Incorporated, (which is funded by cotton growers in the United States through per-bale assessments on producers and importers levied by the Cotton Board) is working with $4 million less than last year. “In addition, reduced acreage in the Mid-South and Delta regions could lead to gin closures, thus eliminating more of the industry infrastructure. Add to this the fact that cotton producers are no longer covered by the 2014 Farm Bill (as cotton is no longer a program crop).” So what is the cotton industry doing? Tony answers, “They are fighting. The industry, along with more than 100 Congressional members, is asking USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to include cotton as an oilseed for farm program payments. This effort has gained support from even soybean growers.” Tony adds that industry leaders and farmers are testifying before Congress on the need to address currency manipulation by other countries. The industry is also funding research that would make cottonseed edible (by removing gossypol) giving producers more opportunities to see value in their fiber crop. Why does this matter to anyone outside of cotton country? Tony reports that Wade Cowan, Chairman of the American Soybean Association, says if producers quit growing cotton, they'll switch to corn or soybeans, which in turn adds more acres and more price pressure on those crops. Tony provides this fact and opinion, “Since 75% of all paper currency in the U.S. is made from domestic cotton, without this industry China really would own all of us.”
