Talkin' Cotton and Competition
We are talking cotton today with a feature from the “Cotton Newsline” a product of the National Cotton Council of America and Chairman of the Council, Joe Nicosia…“It’s pretty simple in the United States right now in the cotton industry. If you don’t compete, you will get beat. What we mean by that is we’ve seen a huge increase in competition around the globe especially in the cotton industry, mainly from Brazil. Brazil’s production is continuing to increase rapidly which, this last year, finally supplant the United States as the largest exporter in the world. It’s a little symptomatic with the three droughts that we’ve had in west Texas now, that’s hurt our production that’s there. But, at the same time, we’re going to have to stand up and make some changes in our industry to compete with Brazil and Australia, West Africa, and the major exporters that exist in the world today.”
Nicosia says the number one agenda item of the National Cotton Council is to get a new farm bill and get a good one. Within that area of discussion, their number one push is an increase in the reference price. Again Joe Nicosia with the National Cotton Council.