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August 20, 2010
 

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PAST ISSUES/ARCHIVES
 
Cotton's Week: March 22, 2024
Cotton's Week: March 15, 2024
Cotton's Week: March 8, 2024
Cotton's Week: March 1, 2024
 
 


 
Producer, Foundation Leaders Discuss Key Issues

Under Secretary of Agriculture Jim Miller, via conference call, addressed the American Cotton Producers (ACP) and Cotton Foundation joint meeting and discussed several key issues, including the ’08 farm bill’s ongoing implementation and export trade initiatives.

In response to questions, Miller stated that the Administration still was considering funding sources and authority for making ’09 ad hoc disaster payments. Sen. Lincoln (D-AR), chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, had received assurances from the Office of Management & Budget, that such payments would be forthcoming.

Miller also reported on the schedule for consultations between the United States and Brazil as part of the WTO Brazil Framework Agreement. NCC President/CEO Mark Lange also updated the group on the Agreement’s status. 

Attendees heard a report from NCC Chairman Eddie Smith and received detailed updates on key policy issues from other NCC staff along with a Cotton Council International activities report.

Dr. David Shaw of Mississippi State U. and chairman of the Weed Science Society Task Force on Herbicide Resistance Education, reported on the coordinated efforts of researchers and commodity organizations, including the NCC, to provide the latest information on managing for resistance and how to avoid its occurrence. Reports also were given on NCC conservation program education, the Field to Market sustainability project, the life cycle analysis project and on crop insurance issues. Another meeting highlight was a successful auction to raise funds for the Committee for the Advancement of Cotton, the NCC’s political action committee.

In addition to ACP members, advisors and Cotton Foundation trustees and members, the meeting was widely attended by more than 65 W. Texas producers and ginner members.

 
Bayer Agrees to Terminate All Temik Uses

Bayer CropScience signed an agreement with EPA to end the use of the pesticide aldicarb (Temik) in the United States. A new risk assessment conducted by EPA, based on recently submitted toxicity data, indicates that Temik may pose unacceptable dietary risks, especially to infants and young children.

Bayer has agreed to end the product's use immediately on citrus and potatoes which, according to EPA, pose the most significant risks. All other registered uses of Temik will be phased out. The company will cease the manufacture of aldicarb by Dec. 31, ’14. Distribution and sales will end by Dec. 31, ’16. During the phase-out, the pesticide will continue to be registered for use on cotton, dry beans, peanuts, soybeans, sugar beets and sweet potatoes, with all uses ending no later than Aug. 31, ’18.

Bayer also agreed to mitigation measures aimed at protecting shallow drinking water wells in vulnerable areas of the southeastern US coastal plain, and lower application rates will be immediately added to product labels for use on cotton, soybeans and peanuts. For cotton, rates will be decreased from 10 to 7 lbs/A for planting applications and from 14 to 5 lbs/A for side dress. Setbacks for vulnerable wells also will be increased to 700 feet at planting and to 1,000 feet for side dress.

For more information, Bayer can be contacted at 866-992-2937.

 
Final Rule Issued on Cotton Program/CCC-Approved Warehouses

USDA Commodity Credit Corp. (CCC) issued a final rule that makes three changes to the regulations for the cotton program and to the regulations for CCC-approved warehouses used for cotton.

The rule removes obsolete definitions from the regulations for cotton non-recourse loans and loan deficiency payments. It also clarifies the payment calculation for upland cotton that is eligible for the Economic Adjustment Assistance Program. In addition, the rule adds definitions to the regulations for CCC-approved warehouses to clarify the information that cotton warehouse operators must report to CCC.

The rule can be accessed from the NCC website’s Issues area at http://www.cotton.org/issues/index.cfm.

 
Tillage Pigweed Control Strategy Discussed

Matt Coley, a Vienna, GA, cotton producer had an opportunity to speak with Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Dave White regarding resistant weeds such as pigweed while White was in Albany, GA, with Rep. Bishop (D-GA) to discuss the Agriculture Water Enhancement Program.

After the meeting, Coley spoke with White about the challenges producers are facing with managing resistant weeds and also staying in compliance with conservation contracts.

Researchers have been looking at incorporating some tillage practice into their management recommendations. Their reasoning is that pigweed seed typically germinates only in shallow depths up to one inch, possibly 1½ inches. By burying the resistant seed to depths they will not germinate, producers greatly reduce the seed bank and enhance their ability to manage lower densities of pigweeds.

Many producers have conservation contracts through such programs as the Conservation Stewardship Program that requires reduced tillage. Coley reiterated that while producers were glad to be able to reduce tillage, preserve their soil moisture and soils, it is imperative that NRCS allow exemptions to contracts to use management strategies for control of herbicide resistant weeds that may require tillage or other practices that could render them in violation of current contracts.

While in Albany, White also visited pigweed research plots being studied to see first hand the effects of resistant weeds on crops.
 
CRP Sign-Up Deadline Approaching

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds producers that the deadline to enroll in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general sign-up is close of business on Friday, Aug. 27, ’10. Applications can be completed by land owners at the FSA county office where their farm records are maintained. The ’08 farm law authorized USDA to maintain CRP enrollment up to 32 million acres.

In addition to producers signing up for the first time, CRP participants with existing contracts that are scheduled to expire on Sept. 30, ’10, may elect to re-enroll under a new 10-15 year contract. Cropland that is highly erodible, or within a national or state Conservation Priority Area, or is covered under an expiring CRP contract is generally eligible to be enrolled into CRP, provided all other eligibility requirements are met.

Contracts awarded under this 39th sign-up are scheduled to become effective Oct. 1, ’10.

CRP is a voluntary program that helps farmers, ranchers and other agricultural producers protect their environmentally sensitive land. Producers enrolling in CRP plant long-term, resource-conserving covers in exchange for rental payments, cost-share and technical assistance.

In addition to the general sign-up, CRP's continuous sign-up program is ongoing. Continuous acres represent the most environmentally desirable and sensitive land.

For more information on the general CRP sign-up, or the continuous CRP sign-up, producers should contact their local FSA county office, or visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov/.

 

NCC Mid-Year Meeting Set

The NCC will conduct its '10 Mid-Year Board of Directors meeting on Aug. 25-27 at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis.

NCC Board committees will meet on Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 25, and on Thursday morning, Aug. 26. Cotton Council International’s (CCI) Board of Directors meets Thursday morning, followed that afternoon by the NCC Board’s open session. The NCC Board’s executive session is scheduled for Friday morning, Aug. 27.

During Thursday afternoon’s open session, Eddie Smith will begin with the NCC chairman’s report. Other reports will be provided by NCC vice presidents Gary Adams (economic outlook) and John Maguire (Washington update). In addition, CCI President Wally Darneille will report on that organization’s activities, and Bobby Greene will provide a Committee for the Advancement of Cotton update. Ambassador Isi Siddiqui, USTR’s chief agricultural negotiator, also is scheduled to address the group during the NCC’s open session.

 
Far Western Producers Visiting Texas

Cotton producers from Arizona and California will see cotton operations in Texas on Aug. 23-26 as part of the NCC ’10 Producer Information Exchange (P.I.E.) program.

Sponsored by Bayer CropScience through a grant to The Cotton Foundation, the P.I.E. program helps producers improve their overall farming operation efficiency by: 1) gaining new perspectives in such fundamental practices as land preparation, planting, fertilization, pest control, irrigation and harvesting; and 2) observing firsthand the unique ways in which their peers are using new and existing technology.

The eight Far West producers will begin their tour on Aug. 23 in Lubbock at the Bayer CropScience Warehouse for a presentation on the company’s research and development. They also will get a briefing from Plains Cotton Growers, and updates on Texas cotton production and on the Texas Cotton Improvement Program. The group will visit PYCO Industries, Inc., for a presentation on cottonseed and its uses; and visit Farmers Cooperative Compress before touring the Mimms’ Farm in Acuff.

The next day, the group will visit Plains Cotton Cooperative Assoc. for a look at electronic marketing before touring the Lubbock Feed Lot and the Back to Earth Resources facility for a look at gin byproduct utilization. That day’s activities will conclude with tours of individual farms in the area before the group leaves for the Coastal Bend area.

On the 25th, the group will visit the Stover Equipment Company Inc. in Corpus Christi for an update on module truck and round module opening equipment; then hear about round module ginning at the Edcot Coop Gin in Odem and view John Deere round module pickers on Randy Rachal Farms in the area. They also will tour the Gulf Compress facility in LaQuinta and the Port of Corpus Christi and the Gatefront, LLC fertilizer operation.

On the 26th, the group will travel to Kingsville for a tour of the King Ranch and Farms, a presentation on Texas AgriLife Extension field work and a visit to the Flour Bluff Power Plant to see algae biodiesel and gossypol free shrimp feeding projects. They also will tour the Smith Gin Coop in Odem to see a round module opener before taking individual farm tours in San Patricio, Nueces and Kleberg counties.

The participants are:  ArizonaMelissa Bagnall and Michael Bagnall, Coolidge, Jay Larson and Justin Layton, both from Thatcher, and Wayne Stuhr, Wellton; California – Mel Amarel, Yuba City, John Mendes,Riverdale, and Zach Sheely, Lemoore.

 
Sales Strong, Shipments Steady

Net export sales for the week ending Aug. 12 were 475,800 bales (480-lb). This brings total ’10-11 sales to about 6.4 million bales. Total sales at the same point in the ’09-10 marketing year were about 2.7 million bales. Total new crop (’11-12) sales are 170,800 bales.

Shipments for the week were 247,300 bales, bringing total exports to date to 432,100 bales, compared with the 290,900 bales at the comparable point in the ’09-10 marketing year.

 

 
Effective Aug. 20-26, ’10

Adjusted World Price, SLM 11/16

73.80 cents

*

Fine Count Adjustment ('09 Crop)

 0.21 cents


Fine Count Adjustment ('10 Crop)

  0.31 cents


Coarse Count Adjustment

  0.00 cents


Marketing Loan Gain Value

 0.00 cents


Import Quotas Open

4


Special Import Quota (480-lb bales)

270,393


ELS Payment Rate

0.00 cents


*No Adjustment Made Under Step I

 

Five-Day Average



Current 5 Lowest 3135 CFR Far East

90.64 cents


Forward 5 Lowest 3135 CFR Far East

NA


Coarse Count CFR Far East

NA


Current US CFR Far East

92.90 cents


Forward US CFR Far East

NA


 

'09-10 Weighted Marketing-Year Average Farm Price  
 

Year-to-Date (August-June)

62.10 cents

**


**August-July average price used in determination of counter-cyclical payment