Internal competition between U.S. textile mills compounded by the importation of cheap foreign goods have created tremendous economic pressure for lowering production costs in the U.S. textile mills. To increase output, higher machinery speeds throughout the entire textile manufacturing process has been utilized. These higher speeds have increased the demand for higher yarn strength and yarn uniformity. Mill cotton buyers are turning more and more to HVI testing to identify the most economical cotton that has fiber properties to fit the needs of today's spinning, weaving and knitting mills. With formulas in the computer to predict yarn strength, cotton for daily laydowns based on evaluation of HVI data can be selected. Then mills can produce better performing yarn with better consistency day by day at the most economical price. With these procedures being followed by most of the U.S. textile mills today, we can assume the high utility value of good HVI data is accepted by the textile mill buyer. With the continued efforts of the Agricultural Marketing Services of the U.S.D.A. and the guidance of the technical advisory committee on HVI, the industry is moving toward acceptance of the producers providing HVI quality data with his bale. In the long run, the key to success in marketing cotton basis HVI is for the U.S.D.A. classing office using HVI to do a better job than anyone else in determining the cotton bale quality factors. The U.S.D.A. classing office has the ability to:

1. Carefully control the environment in the classing room. 2. Establish a reliable procedure for producing calibration cotton. 3. Establish a consistent procedure for setting the machines and training the operators. 4. Establish a consistent procedure for handling and presenting the sample to the machine.

The U.S.D.A. should be able to put HVI data on the class card that would accurately reflect bale quality as well as or better than anyone in the industry. When this is accomplished and recognized by the mill buyers and cotton merchants, then cotton can be confidently bought basis "Green Card" and the HVI quality information follow the bale through the marketing channel. With HVI data available on a large volume of cotton sold into the export market, United States produced cotton should be in greater demand in the international market. We predict that in the future, cotton will be sold computer to computer with reliable HVI data available at the time of purchase and this service paid for by the producer.