During the past year the number one quality problem in dyed fabrics was the effect of "dead" or "immature" cotton fibers. Not knowing until a fabric is finished whether you have a fiber problem can result in poor quality, claims and lost customers. Fabrics that have to be reworked in order to try and salvage the goods also results in poor quality, lower fabric strength and higher cost. The severity of this problem varies from year to year, to the point that during some seasons very little problem is noted and other seasons, such as the 1987 crop, caused considerable problems in all manufacturing and finishing plants.