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January 31, 2025

Welcome to the January 31, 2025 issue of Cotton News, a service provided by Plains Cotton Growers Inc. for the cotton industry in the Texas High Plains and beyond.

Get to Know Ag’s Champions in Congress, Part 3

Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) – Chair of the Senate Ag Appropriations Subcommittee

Editor’s Note: We are introducing a short series of articles in the next few issues of Cotton News detailing the Representatives and Senators serving on the House Agriculture Committee, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, and the House Ag Appropriations and Senate Ag Appropriations Subcommittees.

This issue will feature the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration Appropriations. This subcommittee will be referred to as “Senate Ag Appropriations” through the rest of the article.

This subcommittee is tasked with writing legislation that allocates federal funds to government agencies, departments and organizations for the agriculture industry.

Part 3: Senate Ag Appropriations

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) – Ranking Member of the Senate Ag Appropriations Subcommittee

Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND), Senate Ag Appropriations Chair

  • Elected to the U.S. Senate in 2011
  • Served 10 years as North Dakota Governor
  • Member of the House Ag Committee and played a crucial role in crafting and passing the 2014 Farm Bill
  • Vice President of First Western Bank from 1986-2000
  • President and CEO of the Bank of North Dakota from 1993-2000

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Senate Ag Appropriations Ranking Member

  • Elected to the U.S. Senate in 2009
  • Former governor of New Hampshire
  • Served in the New Hampshire Senate
  • One of 12 Senate Democrats to vote for the Laken Riley Act
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Texas State Support Projects Win Big at 2025 Beltwide Cotton Conferences

Megan Mills Singletary and Matthew Cole Woodard

We’re excited to announce that the following students took home banners at the 2025 Beltwide Cotton Conferences for their projects, which are partially funded by Cotton Incorporated’s State Support Program (Texas State Support).

Megan Mills Singletary — “Strategies for Controlling Dicamba-Resistant Palmer Amaranth in Texas and Tennessee”

First Place — Ph.D. oral presentation competition, Weed Science Conference

Project Funded by USDA NIFA and the Texas State Support Committee

Matthew Cole Woolard — “Does adjuvant selection impact AxantTM Flex cotton response when tank-mixed with topramezone and Liberty ULTRA?”

First Place — Ph.D. poster presentation competition, Weed Science Conference

Funded by BASF Corporation and the Texas State Support Committee

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2024 Cotton Quality Report

Lamesa’s average daily number of cotton samples received this week is 624. The office is currently 99% complete in the classing of their season estimate of samples.

Lubbock’s average daily number of cotton samples received this week is 5,060. The office is 99% complete in the classing of their season estimate of samples.

Lamesa Report

Lubbock Report

Reminder for Gins:

If gins are submitting samples for the Four Bale Module Averaging pilot program, the submitted modules must be designated with a R and they must be in multiples of 4. (4, 8, 12, 16 up to 48).

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January 24, 2025

Chairman Boozman’s Opening Statement at Hearing on Nomination of Brooke Rollins to Serve as Secretary of Agriculture

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PCIP and Texas State Support Projects Win Big at 2025 Beltwide Cotton Conferences

We’re excited to announce that the following students took home banners at the 2025 Beltwide Cotton Conferences for their projects, which are funded by the Plains Cotton Improvement Program (PCIP) and Cotton Incorporated’s State Support Program (Texas State Support).

Rebekah Ortiz-Pustejovsky — “Planting Pattern Effects on Physiology, Yield and Fiber Quality”

Brooke Shumate, Ph.D., Rebekah Ortiz-Pustejovsky and Jonathon Salgado.

Third-Place — student oral presentation competition, Cotton Agronomy, Physiology, and Soils Conference

Project funded by PCIP and Texas State Support

Brooke Shumate, Ph.D. — “Environmental Impacts of Growing Environment on Post-Harvest Processing of Cotton”

First Place — student oral presentation competition, Cotton Engineering-Systems Conference

Project funded by PCIP

Jonathon Salgado — “Cotton Response to Different Planting Dates, Seeding Rates, and Varieties on the Southern High Plains of Texas”

First Place — undergraduate student poster competition, Cotton Agronomy, Physiology, and Soils Conference

Project funded by Texas State Support

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2024 Cotton Quality Report

Abilene’s average daily number of cotton samples received this week is 3,160. The office is currently 95.97% complete in the classing of their season estimate of samples.

Lamesa’s average daily number of cotton samples received this week is 932. The office is currently 98% complete in the classing of their season estimate of samples.

Lubbock’s average daily number of cotton samples received this week is 4,080. The office is 98% complete in the classing of their season estimate of samples. (The gin estimate has been revised to 1,980,000.)

Abilene Report

Lamesa Report

Lubbock Report

Reminder for Gins:

If gins are submitting samples for the Four Bale Module Averaging pilot program, the submitted modules must be designated with a R and they must be in multiples of 4. (4, 8, 12, 16 up to 48).

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January 10, 2025

Welcome to the January 10, 2025 issue of Cotton News, a service provided by Plains Cotton Growers Inc. for the cotton industry in the Texas High Plains and beyond.

Get to Know Ag’s Champions in Congress

Editor’s Note: We are introducing a short series of articles in the next few issues of Cotton News detailing the Representatives and Senators serving on the House Agriculture Committee, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, the House Ag Appropriations and Senate Ag Appropriations Subcommittees.

This issue will feature the Chairs and Ranking Members of the House Agriculture Committee and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry — commonly referred to as the “Four Corners.”

Part 1: The Four Corners

PCG Past President Brent Nelson, Sen. John Boozman (R-AR), PCG Director of Communications Kara Bishop, PCCA President and CEO Kevin Brinkley.

Sen. John Boozman (R-AR), Senate Ag Committee Chair

Background

  • Elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010
  • Fifth-generation Arkansan
  • Played football for the University of Arkansas
  • Entered private practice as an optometrist with his brother
  • Established the low vision program at the Arkansas School for the Blind in Little Rock, Arkansas
  • Volunteer optometrist at an area clinic that provides medical services to low-income families
  • Successfully raised Polled Herefords with his children
Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA), House Ag Committee Chair
GT visiting Four Sixes Ranch

PCG CEO Kody Bessent and PCG President Travis Mires attend a fundraiser for House Ag Chairman Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-Pa.) with Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), at the Four Sixes Ranch in Guthrie, Texas.

Background

Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN), House Ag Committee Ranking Member

Background

  • Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018
  • Born and raised in Arkansas – moved to Minnesota in 2005
  • Worked as a reporter and in human resources and communications
  • Member of the Minnesota party affiliate Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
  • Replaced Rep. David Scott (D-GA) as the Ranking Member of the House Ag Committee for the 119th Congress 
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Senate Ag Committee Ranking Member

Background

  • Elected to the U.S. Senate in 2007
  • Partner at two Minneapolis law firms before being elected county attorney of Hennepin County
  • Member of the Minnesota party affiliate Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
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2025 PCG Seed Cost Calculator Now Available

The PCG seed cost calculator is an interactive Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that allows producers to calculate an estimated cost per acre, for both seed and technology, based on published suggested retail prices. The calculator has become a popular tool among producers interested in comparing seed and technology prices as they work to finalize their cotton variety selections.

The 2025 spreadsheet includes updated listings for 115 conventional, Axant Flex, XtendFlex, GlyTol, Bollgard II, Bollgard 3 XtendFlex, Bollgard 3 Thryvon, TwinLink, Enlist and Widestrike varieties, including stacked gene versions of these technologies that are available for sale in West Texas.

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2024 Cotton Quality Report

Lamesa’s average daily number of cotton samples received this week is 4,107. The office is currently 89% complete in the classing of their season estimate of samples.

Lubbock’s average daily number of cotton samples received this week is 8,325. The office is 96% complete in the classing of their season estimate of samples. (The gin estimate has been revised to 1,960,000.)

Lamesa Report

Lubbock Report

Reminder for Gins:

If gins are submitting samples for the Four Bale Module Averaging pilot program, the submitted modules must be designated with a R and they must be in multiples of 4. (4, 8, 12, 16 up to 48).

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January 3, 2025

Welcome to the January 3, 2025 issue of Cotton News, a service provided by Plains Cotton Growers Inc. for the cotton industry in the Texas High Plains and beyond.

Corporate Transparency Act Update — Injunction Reinstated

After some confusing back and forth, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued an Order on December 26, 2024 reinstating the injunction preventing the Corporate Transparency Act’s beneficial ownership reporting requirement form going into effect.

As of December 26, 2024, the nationwide injunction preventing the Corporate Transparency Act’s beneficial ownership reporting requirement from being enforced is in effect. There is currently no enforceable deadline for reporting beneficial ownership during the existence of this stay while the litigation proceeds.

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Producer Economic Assistance Payment Calculators Available

The University of Missouri Food & Agricultural Policy Research Institute has developed two calculators for the American Relief Act of 2025 Economic Assistance payments.

Disclaimer: Many provisions in the legislative text allow or require the discretion of the Secretary of Agriculture in determining certainty of the relevant variables (prices, costs, yields, etc.) used in payment calculations. The final values determined by the Secretary and used in the actual payment calculations could be different from the estimates used here.

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2024 Cotton Quality Report

Abilene’s average daily number of cotton samples received this week is 7,472. The office is currently 88.28% complete in the classing of their season estimate of samples.

Lamesa’s average daily number of cotton samples received this week is 3,590. The office is currently 83% complete in the classing of their season estimate of samples.

Lubbock’s average daily number of cotton samples received this week is 12,900. The office is 96% complete in the classing of their season estimate of samples.

Abilene Report

Lamesa Report

Lubbock Report

Reminder for Gins:

If gins are submitting samples for the Four Bale Module Averaging pilot program, the submitted modules must be designated with a R and they must be in multiples of 4. (4, 8, 12, 16 up to 48).

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December 13, 2024

Welcome to the December 13, 2024 issue of Cotton News, a service provided by Plains Cotton Growers Inc. for the cotton industry in the Texas High Plains and beyond.

Choose Farmers Over Politics

By Russell Boening, Texas Farm Bureau President

As a farmer and rancher, I’ve learned to count on the seasons. They don’t wait. The crops don’t hold off until it’s convenient, and the livestock don’t adjust their needs to fit my schedule.

Yet here we are again, caught in a political freeze, waiting on Congress to pass a farm bill while our livelihoods hang in the balance.

Farm and ranch families operate in a unique business with obstacles beyond our control requiring a lot of faith. We have faith the weather will cooperate to let us plant, grow and harvest good crops. We have faith the commodity and livestock markets will stay strong. We have faith that when we experience catastrophic storms destroying our crops or an economic downturn, the next year will be better, and we can continue farming.

As farmers, we’re eternal optimists. The reality, however, is we are in a dire situation as we navigate the most severe downturn in the farm economy since the 1980s.

This is due to skyrocketing inflation, high input prices, low commodity prices, uncontrollable weather, global unrest, and other challenges. Three consecutive years facing hardship makes it difficult to secure financing, stay in business, and frankly, which is also most concerning, maintain mental health.

A December 2024 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report shows a 23% drop in net farm income since 2022. The most recent Census of Agriculture shows America lost 141,733 farms and 20 million acres in a five-year period. We are also experiencing the second consecutive year of a record agricultural trade deficit, which alone should be alarming.

While farmers face the most treacherous time in recent history, Congress has failed to prioritize passing a farm bill with additional investments in the farm safety net.

In a letter dated Sept. 20, 2024, from all 50 state Farm Bureaus and Puerto Rico Farm Bureau to U.S. House and Senate leadership, we clearly stated, “Another extension of the 2018 farm bill is insufficient and unacceptable as outdated farm safety net programs create uncertainty for agricultural producers.” I am extremely disheartened to say it seems our letter was ignored, and Congress is punting on the farm bill a second time, once again failing the American farmer and rancher.

The farm bill isn’t just a piece of legislation. It provides stability for rural communities, funding for conservation programs, research opportunities and ensures access to nutrition for millions of families.

For some, it’s easy to see the farm bill as just another political debate. But for us in agriculture, it’s personal. It’s the difference between keeping the family farm afloat or being forced to sell out. It’s the resources we need to care for the land, to feed our neighbors and to survive the storms—both literal and figurative—that we know will come.

The fact is our nation’s farmers are at the end of their rope, and we are fed up with Congress’s excuses and inaction. But there is opportunity to change the dangerous path we are on as a country when it comes to national food security.

We continue to press for a new farm bill with critically needed investments in the farm safety net. But most importantly, at this juncture, is for Congress to pass the ‘Farmer Assistance and Revenue Mitigation Act of 2024,’ by Congressman Trent Kelly (R-MS), or a similar economic aid package, to provide desperately needed assistance to farmers as we continue waiting on Congress to act on a new farm bill.

If Congress fails to deliver economic assistance to farm families this year, the results for our country will be disastrous. It’s not just farmers who lose when Congress fails to fulfill the needs of agriculture. Our entire economy suffers, and our nation’s secure food supply is jeopardized. The impacts ripple out to every plate in America.

I hope consumers across the country realize what is at stake if Congress fails to act. An unprecedented number of farmers will not survive unless they have some assurance to take to their lenders to secure financing for the upcoming crop year.

Texas Farm Bureau appreciates the true agricultural champions in Texas’ Congressional delegation who have co-sponsored the FARM Act and expressed the need for economic assistance to U.S. House and Senate leadership. The teamwork demonstrated by these leaders and other members of Congress is exactly what farm and ranch families need and deserve as agriculture suffers the consequences of inaction.

Anyone who views delivering economic assistance to farmers as a cost to our nation is severely misguided. This must be regarded as a necessary investment in the future of our food security. Failing to invest in agriculture is a threat to the backbone of our country and the nation’s food and national security.

Let’s choose farmers over politics and pass the FARM Act this year and prioritize passing a new farm bill in the new year. Because the seasons won’t wait, and neither can we.

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2024 Cotton Quality Report

Abilene’s average daily number of cotton samples received this week is 7,338. The office is currently 56.57% complete in the classing of their season estimate of samples.

Lamesa’s average daily number of cotton samples received this week is 5,855. The office is currently 61% complete in the classing of their season estimate of samples.

Lubbock’s average daily number of cotton samples received this week is 32,200. The office is 70% complete in the classing of their season estimate of samples.

Abilene Report

Lamesa Report

Lubbock Report

Reminder for Gins:

If gins are submitting samples for the Four Bale Module Averaging pilot program, the submitted modules must be designated with a R and they must be in multiples of 4. (4, 8, 12, 16 up to 48).

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November 22, 2024

Welcome to the November 22, 2024 issue of Cotton News, a service provided by Plains Cotton Growers Inc. for the cotton industry in the Texas High Plains and beyond.

Water logged field in Hansford County.

Texas High Plains Crop Report

Too Late for This Year Could Be Silver Lining for 2025

A widespread rain began steadily pouring down Sunday (November 17) night and didn’t quit until the next morning. The best part? It didn’t come with high wind speeds or hail.

Seagraves saw the most precipitation that night, coming in at 3.87 inches, according to the West Texas Mesonet, while Lubbock reported 2.32 inches and Dimmitt reported 1.8.

Due to the active precipitation and high humidity levels, harvest has been a stop-and-go activity this year. We estimate 60% of the crop in our service area has been stripped, while the U.S. Department of Agriculture report (issued Monday November 18) states 72% of the Texas crop has been harvested. Some counties in our region are estimating 85% harvested while some are closer to 35%. There is more cotton still in the field north of Amarillo than normal at this time in past years.

We have heard from several producers that they are still waiting for the freeze to kick in and dry everything out. While Lubbock experienced its first official freeze on November 20 (the fourth latest freeze in recorded history), according to KLBK Chief Meteorologist Jacob Riley, it wasn’t cold enough for long enough to help desiccate the plants left in the field.

“We winterized our sprayer and put it up for the season, and now we’re getting it back out again,” said Walt Hagood, producer in Hockley County.

It has been reported that several gins have shut down after running out of cotton. Producers are reporting that they’re harvesting later due to the conditions. Even gins that have modules on the yard are having trouble getting the modules to the feeder from the lot due to muddy and wet conditions.

While even the Lubbock classing office had to shut down some this week after running out of cotton to class, they remain steady at their current estimate of 1.9 million bales of production from their service region.

Farmers Cooperative Compress states they have 50% of their anticipated crop in the warehouse and expect somewhere between 1.1 million and 1.2 million bales — slightly higher than the 800,000 bales they had last year.

The rain record for November (assuming it doesn’t rain more) for 2024 is second to 2004. “I remember the 2004 crop year,” said Steve Verett, producer in Crosby County. “It was a good year. I remember that 2004 was a wet time to harvest as well, but it was the first 4-million-bale crop that the PCG region made. And then we did 5 million bales in 2005. That makes me hopeful for this upcoming crop season.”

The U.S. Drought Monitor reports that the drought across the South Plains has been eradicated. Roughly 40% to 50% of the region remains under level D0 (abnormally dry conditions). “So much has changed over the last three weeks,” Riley said.

This crop year has been hard, as has the two before it. However, we look to the future as the moisture gives us hope for 2025.

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2024 Cotton Quality Report

Abilene’s average daily number of cotton samples received this week is 6,335. The office is currently 34.34% complete in the classing of their season estimate of samples.

Lamesa’s average daily number of cotton samples received this week is 5,924. The office is currently 33% complete in the classing of their season estimate of samples.

Lubbock’s average daily number of cotton samples received this week is 24,100. The office is 41% complete in the classing of their season estimate of samples.

Abilene Report

Lamesa Report

Lubbock Report

Reminder for Gins:

If gins are submitting samples for the Four Bale Module Averaging pilot program, the submitted modules must be designated with a R and they must be in multiples of 4. (4, 8, 12, 16 up to 48).

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October 25, 2024

Welcome to the October 25, 2024 issue of Cotton News, a service provided by Plains Cotton Growers Inc. for the cotton industry in the Texas High Plains and beyond.

Rep. Trent Kelly (R-MS) Files the “Farmer Assistance and Revenue Mitigation Act of 2024

Rep. Trent Kelly (R-MS) has introduced the Farmer Assistance and Revenue Mitigation Act of 2024 (The FARM Act) which would provide emergency assistance to producers of eligible commodities for which the expected revenue in crop year 2024 is below the projected per-acre cost of production. Acres planted or prevented from being planted in 2024 to the following crops would be eligible for assistance: barley, corn, cotton, dry peas, grain sorghum, lentils, large chickpeas, oats, peanuts, rice, small chickpeas, soybeans, other oilseeds, and wheat. FARM Act payments are calculated as follows:

FARM Act Payment = (Projected Cost – Projected Returns) x Eligible Acres x 60% where:

  • Projected Cost is the per-acre cost published by USDA’s Economic Research Service for corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, rice, sorghum, oats, and barley and otherwise as determined by the Secretary in a similar manner.
  • Projected Returns for corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, rice, sorghum, oats, and barley are determined by multiplying the projected 2024 marketing year average price published in the WASDE by the 10-year national average yield for the eligible commodity and otherwise as determined by the Secretary.
  • Eligible Acres consist of 100% of the acres planted to an eligible commodity plus 50% of the acres prevented from being planted to an eligible commodity in crop year 2024, as reported to FSA by the producer.

Existing provisions relative to attribution of payments, actively engaged in farming, and other regulations apply. With respect to payment limitations, persons or entities that derive less than 75% of their income from farming, ranching, or forestry are subject to an overall limitation of $175,000 per person or entity. Persons or entities that derive 75% or more of their income from farming, ranching, or forestry are subject to an overall limitation of $350,000 in assistance per person or entity.

The table below provides an estimate of the per-acre payments under the FARM Act. This analysis from the Texas A&M Agricultural and Food Policy Center uses estimates from the October 2024 WASDE for the marketing year average price along with harvested acre yields from NASS. These are merely estimates and are subject to change, however, proposals are starting to take shape, and the levels of support being discussed would provide a meaningful amount of assistance to help offset losses in 2024 which is much needed.

Click the image above to download the chart in PDF format.

We will provide more information as it becomes finalized — this legislation has been filed, but not voted on or passed yet. Our leadership have been working diligently in tandem with the National Cotton Council and other organizations on this much needed assistance and we greatly appreciate the underlying champions for serving as original co-sponsors of this pivotal legislation for production agriculture.

The original co-sponsors are as follows:

August Pfluger (R-TX),
Henry Cuellar (D-TX),
Jake Ellzey (R-TX),
John Carter (R-TX),
Lance Gooden (R-TX),
Marc Veasey (D-TX),
Michael McCaul (R-TX),
Monica De La Cruz (R-TX),
Nathaniel Moran (R-TX),
Pat Fallon (R-TX),
Pete Sessions (R-TX),
Randy Weber (R-TX).
Ronny Jackson (R-TX),
Tony Gonzales (R-TX),
Troy Nehls (R-TX),
Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX),
Austin Scott (R-GA),
Barry Moore (R-AL),
Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN),
Clay Higgins (R-LA),
Dale Strong (R-AL),
David Kustoff (R-TN),
David Rouzer (R-NC),
Earl “Buddy” Carter (R-GA),
Frank Lucas (R-OK),
Gary Palmer (R-AL),
Greg Murphy (R-NC),
Jerry Carl (R-AL),
John Rose (R-TN),
Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ),
Julia Letlow (R-LA),
Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA),
Michael Guest (R-MS),
Mike Collins (R-GA),
Mike Ezell (R-MS),
Mike Rogers (R-AL),
Rick Crawford (R-AR),
Sanford Bishop (D-GA),

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Carol Kelly Named New Texas High Plains Cotton Breeder

Four-year-old Carol Kelly used to enjoy pulling bolls off the cotton plants in her daddy’s fields and pry them open to look inside. I guess you could say cotton fiber has always fascinated her. As a graduate student in 2006, she was asked by her boss, John Gannaway (the cotton breeder at the time), if she would ever want his job. She said yes.

Now nearly 20 years later, she’s got it.

Carol Kelly grew up in cotton, which is why she’s excited to take on the new role of Assistant Profession of Cotton Breeding for Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Lubbock, Texas.

“We are excited to welcome Carol to this new role,” said Todd Baughman, center director for the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Lubbock. “Her vast experience with this program is unmatched and we know she’ll be tremendously successful in moving this historic cotton breeding program into the future.”

As Assistant Professor of Cotton Breeding, Kelly will have the capacity to mentor students as she still highly values the mentors that helped develop her as a professional. She will also have a more direct impact on how the center approaches production challenges and fiber quality — something very personal to her.

“My grandfather owned a cotton gin in Brownfield that my dad managed alongside farming cotton in that area, so I know the struggles that producers face,” Kelly said. “And now, my friends are farming their own operations, so I’m very passionate about helping them be successful.”

This program’s longevity has been highly esteemed in the Plains Cotton Growers service area for many years. Kelly says it’s important to her that it be preserved for many years to come.

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2024 Cotton Quality Report

Lamesa’s average daily number of cotton samples received this week is 1,655. The office is currently 2% complete in the classing of their season estimate of samples.

Lubbock’s average daily number of cotton samples received this week is 17,300. The office is 7.6% complete in the classing of their season estimate of samples.

Abilene Report

Lamesa Report

Lubbock Report

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October 18, 2024

Welcome to the October 18, 2024 issue of Cotton News, a service provided by Plains Cotton Growers Inc. for the cotton industry in the Texas High Plains and beyond.

The Mere Exposure Effect

Why It’s Important to Familiarize Young People with Cotton Clothing

By Kara Bishop

My grandmother used to make me “coffee” starting at two years old. She’d give me my own little cup and saucer with a tiny bit of coffee and a whole lot of milk. Coffee was a staple in my family’s household. Coffee reminds me of early mornings in Colorado during the summer when I would go to my grandparent’s camper in my pajamas to watch the sunrise. It’s what we drank on Sunday afternoons watching football.

Fast forward years later, and it’s a daily ritual in my home. I drink it regardless of whether I need it. Because it’s familiar. Because it’s nostalgic. Because, as weird as it sounds, it’s part of my identity.

I contribute financially to the coffee industry in large part because of what’s known as the “Mere Exposure Effect.”

The Mere Exposure Effect describes our tendency to develop preferences for things simply because we are familiar with them. And it can be effectively used to ensure that individuals purchase cotton clothing throughout their lifespan. When you dress a child in denim from infancy to teenager, chances are, they’re going to continue to purchase jeans for life.

Therefore, it makes sense to market and promote cotton to younger generations. That’s why Cotton Incorporated has partnered with Aéropostale — a retail chain that outfits high school students.

For the month of October, all 498 U.S. Aéropostale stores will feature cotton front and center. The front window display will model cotton styles with the messaging, “Keep It Real. Choose Comfort. Wear Cotton.”

Window display of the Aéropostale store in the Galleria Dallas Mall.

With this partnership, cotton clothing is in the front of the store pushing synthetic fiber apparel to the back — an effective marketing strategy. The retail store also has a cotton shop on their website to easily order cotton styles online.

This campaign is modeled after “The Fabric of Now,” but tweaked to resonate with a younger audience. The signage in the stores read “Real. Comfortable. Cotton. Because you’ll always remember how your outfit made you feel.” Feelings are very important in purchasing decisions. Much like coffee makes me think of precious memories I have with my family, we want these young people to associate their cotton outfits with an experience that’s significant to them.

The first display you see when you walk into any Aéropostale store in October.

I was impressed with the cotton content I saw in Aéropostale — even clothing with synthetic fiber was blended with cotton fabric for the most part. And it’s affordable, which will always make purchasing decisions for this demographic easier.

If you’re looking for cotton options for your children, this is a slam dunk. Visit the Aéropostale cotton shop here.

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October 11, 2024

Welcome to the October 11, 2024 issue of Cotton News, a service provided by Plains Cotton Growers Inc. for the cotton industry in the Texas High Plains and beyond.

How Do We Market Cotton Product to a Digital World?

By Kara Bishop

You’re 22 years old in 2021. Everything is available through your smart phone. You’re never going to pick something up when it can be delivered. Groceries, takeout, medicine, doctor appointments, clothes — all available through the phone.  Your friends are people you have never met but follow on social media. Your counselors and advisers are “influencers” with millions of followers online. Your favorite trendy items are recommended to you by these friends on social media and thanks to the digital space, you can order it straight from your social media account. You subscribe to clothing retailers online who will “style” you by sending you things you might like to try on and send back if you don’t like them. You’ve never heard of cable, opting instead to subscribe to a ton of streaming services for all your favorite shows. You work from home, grocery shop from home, visit the doctor at home, workout at home, eat at home, talk to friends at home.

But now it’s 2024. You want to get out and experience the world again. You’re tired of isolation and want to have real tangible experiences with real people again. Turns out, it’s bad for mental health and overall well-being to be stuck in the house that long. Plus, you want to wear cute outfits again and go to coffee or out to eat before going to a concert.

You’re still addicted to your phone and heavily influenced by it. However, you’re trying to break some bad habits and create better ones. You want to put the phone down some and just live in the moment. Maybe go visit your mom instead of FaceTiming her. Maybe run at the park instead of the YouTube workout you have loaded on your T.V. Maybe you want to feel something rather than numbing your mind with a screen.

Congratulations, you just became the cotton industry’s target customer.

Cotton Shoppin’

Cotton Incorporated’s campaign “The Fabric of Now” made a splash in Dallas, Texas, the last weekend in September. Partnering with the global billion-dollar online retailer, REVOLVE, they showed customers how versatile, unique and high-quality cotton clothing is. PCG was invited to attend and see the experience first-hand as well as Cotton Incorporated and The Cotton Board leadership.

The REVOLVE contract is a six-month partnership that has been consistently paying off for cotton the last six years. In the beginning, REVOLVE offered 2,100 different cotton styles. Today that number is well over 18,000.

Since REVOLVE is an online retailer, they host pop-up shops periodically so customers can try on the clothes and see them in a brick-and-mortar setting. “It allows them to see our product, but also helps us get to know our customer base,” a REVOLVE employee told me at the event.

REVOLVE’s target audience are the 18 to 24 and 25-34 age ranges. While they have primarily targeted female audiences, they have broken into the male market with the REVOLVEMan brand. They are also the pioneers of the influencer marketing strategy. For years, they’ve worked with the “Stars” of social media. These relationships allow them to market to millions of customers without any of the heavy lifting.

You’ve Been Influenced

Influencer marketing is a social media marketing approach that uses endorsements and product mentions from influencers. Influencers are generally those with a large social media presence. The REVOLVE influencers in the Dallas area were invited to an exclusive event at the pop-up shop the day before it opened to tease the event to their audiences and drum up excitement for the weekend shopping extravaganza.

Some of these influencers included the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders who posted their cotton shop experiences to their millions of followers.

Influencers are successful at building large audiences because of the authentic online experiences they offer. They allow strangers into their worlds to the point where these followers feel like real friends. If an influencer thinks her followers will love something, she recommends it. And the followers will buy the tar out of it. I’ve seen influencers recommend something and it’s sold out within minutes. Small business owners have had their lives changed by a huge influencer recommending their product.

Typically, when contracting influencers to promote a product for a company, there is payment for the posts on social media as well as commissions for sales. However, the investment is returned many times over most of the time.

It’s About the Amenities

The pop-up shop featured free iced coffee lattes to shoppers as well as free permanent jewelry, both popular with the younger crowd. The more amenities you can offer, the better the experience is — experience is key for REVOLVE’s target demographic. It’s no longer about wearing clothes in a utilitarian way. It’s about wearing clothes for the experience offered by the outfit — how does this clothing make me feel when I wear it?

Throughout the temporary store, there was brand messaging consistent with Cotton Incorporated’s “Fabric of Now” Campaign. Signage educated customers on the versatility, comfort and adventurous spirit of cotton clothing. There were little decorations that were meant to communicate mindfulness, presence, relaxation and living in the moment. The pop-up shop showed customers that there is a cotton outfit for every occasion.

Matt Farmer, Vice Chair of The Cotton Board purchases cotton sweatshirts from The Cotton Shop.

Each clothing item had a tag with the seal of cotton as well as a QR code. If the temporary shop was out of your size, you could easily scan the code and buy it directly from the online cotton shop.

Everything behind Cotton Incorporated’s newest campaign is designed with intention. The contract with REVOLVE stipulates that every item in the cotton shop must hold a minimum of 90% cotton for all denim products and 60% cotton for all other items.

Most of what I saw in the store was in the 80% to 100% cotton range and, surprisingly, most of the customers coming into the shop were already wearing predominantly cotton pieces as well.

The expectations for this event were exceeded in my opinion and it was nice to see so many people from different backgrounds sharing a commonality in their love for cotton products.

Stay tuned for part two of this series. Next stop: Aeropostale.

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September 27, 2024

Welcome to the September 27, 2024 issue of Cotton News, a service provided by Plains Cotton Growers Inc. for the cotton industry in the Texas High Plains and beyond.

The Losses are Mounting and Projected to Get Worse

Originally Published in Southern Ag Today

By Bart Fischer and Joe Outlaw, co-directors of the Texas A&M University Agricultural and Food Policy Center

Over the last two weeks, row crop producers descended on the nation’s capital, lobbying for passage of a new farm bill and highlighting the need for ad hoc disaster assistance. If you do not personally live with the constant barrage of challenges facing our nation’s farmers and ranchers – ranging from droughts, wildfires, and hurricanes to inflation and market collapses – it’s easy to grow numb to their plight. Besides, aren’t farmers and ranchers always on Capitol Hill asking for assistance?

We understand the cynicism, but most people do not realize that this is a direct consequence of the way farm bills are negotiated.  While many federal programs are on autopilot (e.g., Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc) – where we don’t think about them until someone tries to change something – farm bills are negotiated roughly every 5 years on the premise that they need to be responsive to the needs of producers. Unfortunately, rather than responding to the needs of our nation’s farmers and ranchers, farm bills now get caught up in annual spending fights with growers constantly having to defend the farm safety net from attacks. On top of that, the short-term nature of the farm bill leaves producers in a regular state of limbo about what the safety net will cover. For example, producers are planning for the 2025 crop year, but they still have no clue what the safety net will look like for the upcoming crop year (nor do they know if any assistance will be provided to help with 2023 and 2024 losses). If that were not enough, these dynamics have culminated in a situation where “direct government payments” to producers in 2024 are forecasted to hit a 42-year low. The last time we saw so little investment in direct producer support was in 1982 in the midst of the farm crisis of the 1980s.  So, while it’s easy to joke that farmers and ranchers are always asking policymakers for something, the system is designed to work that way.  Whether or not that approach makes sense is open for debate, but we will save that conversation for another day.

In the meantime, between a stagnating farm bill process, a farm bill extension that is slated to provide virtually no help in 2024, and no ad hoc support from Congress over the last two years, an outside observer might quickly conclude that things must be going extraordinarily well in the farm economy.  To the contrary, USDA’s latest net farm income estimate showed a $35 billion decrease in crop cash receipts in 2024 alone, the largest single-year drop in the last 50 years (and the largest 2-year drop in history).  2025 is on track to be considerably worse.

As we noted above, farm bills are on a 5-year cycle because they are supposed to be responsive to the needs of farmers and ranchers.  But, support levels are at 42-year lows and growers are facing the prospect of enormous losses.  Congress passed a continuing resolution yesterday to extend current government funding levels through December 20th and promptly left town for the final stretch of the campaign season.  When they return on November 12th, they will face a very short runway to wrap up farm bill negotiations and provide ad hoc disaster assistance.  If Congress decides not to act – and absent a major rebound in the agricultural markets – many of our nation’s producers will enter the New Year in arguably some of the most challenging financial circumstances they’ve faced in decades.

New Dems Call for Farm Bill Before End of Year

Today (Sept. 25, 2024), New Democrat Coalition Farm Bill Task Force Chair Kim Schrier (WA-08) and Vice Chairs Don Davis (NC-01) and Jim Costa (CA-21) sent a letter to House and Senate leadership, and leadership of the House Committee on Agriculture and of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry calling for Congress to pass a strong, bipartisan Farm Bill before the end of 2024.

“America’s farmers are the backbone of our country and communities,” said Farm Bill Task Force Chair Schrier. “They feed and employ our constituents and help power our economy. That’s why Congress must put partisanship aside and pass a robust Farm Bill by the end of the year to avert a harmful lapse in funding for American agriculture.”

“As Members representing rural communities, we know what’s at stake if we don’t get this legislation across the finish line. Democrats are united in fighting to make sure we sustain a vibrant and thriving agricultural economy. New Dems will continue working across the aisle to get a strong, bipartisan Farm Bill to the President’s desk by the end of the year.”

The letter reads in part:

“As New Dems, we are fully committed to working in a bipartisan fashion and finding a pragmatic path forward. By building upon the existing efforts throughout this Congress, we believe that there is a way forward to get legislation to the President’s desk before the end of the year.”

House Republicans Pressure Johnson on Farm Bill

More than half of the House Republican Conference has penned a letter to their own leadership, urging them to put the GOP’s farm bill on the floor during the upcoming lame-duck session.

The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 passed out of the House Agriculture Committee in May with all Republicans and four Democrats voting yes. But House GOP leadership has slow-walked the legislation to the floor due to concerns about flagging support from Democrats and Republicans.

The letter has high-profile House GOP supporters, including Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson (Pa.), Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington (Texas), Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (Ky.), Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman (Ark.), Foreign Affairs Chair Michael McCaul (Texas) and Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (Okla.).

The letter was led by Republican Reps. Mark Alford (Mo.), Ashley Hinson (Iowa), Mary Miller (Ill.) and Jen Kiggans (Va.).

The GOP lawmakers urge Speaker Mike Johnson to consider the farm bill a “must-pass” bill in the lame duck.

House Republican leadership has told us they are likely to pass a short-term extension of the current farm bill in the lame duck.

Even the all-powerful Pointing has no control about the blind texts it is an almost unorthographic life One day however a small line of blind text by the name of Lorem Ipsum decided to leave for the far World of Grammar.

Punkin Center Gin Turns 100

Story Originally Published in the Lamesa Press Reporter

It was a more detailed search in the records before Al Crisp realized his cotton gin, the second oldest in the state and the oldest in West Texas, was turning 100.

He was just off by two years in his calculations. When he first. began researching the age of Punkin Center Gin, he thought it started ginning cotton in 1926. He wanted to be prepared for the big day and thought he had more than enough time to do it.

It was through additional investigation before he realized he was a few months off from the actual June 11, 1924 birth date.

“I just anted to know the history of the place,” Crisp said. “I knew I had prepared for 1926. That turned out to be wrong.”

West Portland Gin in South Texas may be the oldest in the state with a birth date in 1922, but that hasn’t been officially confirmed yet, Crisp said.

He searched through the courthouse records in the basement under his business’ former name, Community Gin, but could not find it. That search didn’t go anywhere. His investigation turned around when someone told him to take the property’s block and section numbers and search within the abstract company for more details. That search led him to find his gin’s past when it was called Farmer’s Gin.

Though he missed the actual birthday, he is holding off the celebrations until after this season’s cotton ginning is over. Then it’ll be a big dinner.

“This is our 100th year ginning cotton,” Crisp said. “We’re going to base it on the cotton season.”

He already has plans installed to commemorate the anniversary. KCBD Lubbock television station is coming out in two weeks to report about the big anniversary. He’s contacted the “Texas Country Reporter,” a weekly syndicated television program that airs in 22 Texas media markets, but hasn’t heard word from them yet. The ag museum in Lubbock is also aware of the centennial birthday.

Not everyone would delve so deeply into a business’ actual age. But Crisp, who purchased the facility 25 years ago, is an amateur genealogist and historian who can trace his family history in Nacogdoches in the years 1836-1845 before Texas became a state. His family’s history as Texans and serving in the Confederate military during the Civil War allowed him to join the Sons of the Republic of Texas and the Sons of Confederate Veterans. His family has been a part of Texas for almost 200 years.

Ross and A.C. McDonald built the gin with two gullet gin plants at the Punkin Center Gin’s current location on CR H in Welch. The gins had the capacity to produce six bales of cotton each hour.

A gullet gin, made from wood, has long been replaced by more modernized steel equipment. The gins at Punkin Center Gin operate in a similar fashion with sharp combs separating the cotton from the seeds, but now they are run by computers and touch panels.

Mechanical cotton ginning has been in existence since the first machine was invented in 1793. There was a time when it took human labor to brush out the seeds from the lint. The first cotton gin did the same process, but with minimal human labor.

A century ago, Punkin Gin’s original owners named the two gins Farmers Gin #1 and #2.

Since its beginning, the gin has fallen into several hands through the century.

E.K. Allen bought half of the gin business from the McDonalds in 1951. Six years later, Pete Brewer bought Allen’s interest.

It wasn’t until Charlie Bruton purchased the two plants in 1965 that the gin got its current Punkin Center Gins, Inc. name. Ralph Mires went into partnership with Bruton at 20-percent working interest while working as the gins’ manager. When Bruton died in 1970, Mires bought the gins from his widow.

How the business got its name is unverifiable. it seems a community softball team showed up for a tournament but not a name. They called themselves Punkin Center. They may have gotten it from Poka Lambro, a local telephone provider that’s still in operation, who named a section of their operations with the 806-489 phone number, called the Punkin Center exchange.

“That came form some of the older people who were here,” Crisp said. “That’s what they told me. it was named after a softball team.”

Crisp purchased the business from Mires in 1999. His wife, Kasha, runs the office part of the business. Some of the employees are the grandsons of previous workers.

“It’s not just a living. It’s a legacy,” Crisp said.

The company employees three workers. When the ginning season starts, the company hires roughly 25 workers.

Crisp worries about the future of cotton ginning. There was a time when Dawson County had 12 cotton gins. That number has dwindled to only five.

“The gins in the state of Texas are in trouble,” Crisp said. “Gins are not covered by the ag insurance (that protects farmers with failed crops). If a crop is missed, we’re not covered by the government. We don’t get anything.”

Dawson County enjoyed a bumper crop three years ago. The two previous crops failed. Crisp predicts another bad season this year.

“There’s nothing to sustain business,” Crisp said.

Gin owners have to plan for the future by saving funds to carry them through the tough years.

“Right now, it’s getting hard where we have to live on a crop every three years,” Crisp said.

Punkin Center Gin averages about 40,000 bales of cotton every year. Crisp expects the gin will produce 12,000 bales this season.

The gin has undergone numerous automations. It was the first west of the Mississippi to have jet dryers, all automatic strapping , fiber optics and the round bale unwrapper called a “spider.”

Crisp has been involved in the cotton industry since he began working at 14 with the Smith Gin in Odem. He’s the only one in his family who never had to pick cotton by hand.

After graduating from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville with an agricultural mechanization degree, he headed to West Texas where he landed a job with the Texas Cotton Ginners Association. He then worked for the O’Donnell Co-op as plant manager for three years before purchasing Punkin Center Gin. He was only 25 when he bought the business.

“This is my hobby. This is what I love to do,” Crisp said. “If I hit the lottery and won all the money in the world, I’d still be in cotton ginning. I just love to gin.”

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