Cotton Newsline: November 22, 2021
Labor Availability Creating Challenges for Classing Offices - Darryl Earnest, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Cotton & Tobacco Program, joins us to explain the complexities of the issues classing facilities are facing across the cotton belt.
After a slow start to the harvest season, generally favorable weather since mid-October has allowed cotton harvest to advance with little delay. As of November 14, USDA reports that 65% of U.S. cotton acres have been harvested, which is consistent with the 5-year average progress of 64% for this date. The harvest progress over the past month, coupled with generally favorable yields, has caused high volumes of cotton to accumulate in a relatively short time. Unfortunately, the lack of available labor is creating significant challenges for the industry. Darryl Earnest, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Cotton & Tobacco Program, joins us to explain the complexities of the issues his classing facilities are facing across the cotton belt.
