Land of Cotton Archives
This is the electronic version of back issues from landofcotton.com.
Articles are listed by date they were removed from the news page.
January-March, 2001
Jan. 10
Industry mourns Lloyd Cline
The U.S. cotton industry has lost one of its leaders with the death Saturday of Texas grower and former National Cotton Council President Lloyd Cline. Funeral services were Tuesday in Lamesa, Texas, where Mr. Cline had spent most of his life.

Mr. Cline, 71, died only a few months after his wife Jolene. The Clines had been married 53 years. The Clines have two children, Vivian Raines of Lamesa and Loy Sanders of Andrews; and three grandchildren.

Mr. Cline was born in Lamesa and graduated from Lamesa High School in 1946. He graduated from Louisiana State University's School of Banking in 1962 and worked at First National Bank of Lamesa from 1947 to 1990. He was president and chief executive officer 1977-87 and chairman of the board 1987-90. He was mayor of Lamesa 1965-1979.

A distinguished cotton producer, he served as president of Lamesa Cotton Growers, Plains Cotton Growers Inc. and Texas Cotton Producers. He was the 1986 president of the National Cotton Council of America and NCC chairman of the board in 1987.

He was elected to the Cotton Hall of Fame in 1990. He testified on behalf of the Cotton Council  before the U.S. House of Representatives Finance Committee during hearings to evaluate the status of the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the forerunner to NAFTA, 1991. That same year, he received the Gerald W. Thomas Award as an outstanding agriculturist from the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Texas Tech University. He received the Cotton Industry's Harry S. Baker Award for outstanding service in 1995.

Dabble in the market without getting burned
There's a new game in town, and it's called Risk-Free Futures Trading. Actually, cotton merchant Frank Weathersby of Affinity Trading in Memphis, calls it "paper trading." Affinity is offering the software through its website, www.cotton-futures.com.

This new software, supplied by PFG BEST Direct,  allows users to go through every step of buying and selling in the cotton market, but without actually committing any money or any cotton. Weathersby sees it as valuable practice to help familiarize novices with the market. He hopes that once "virtual" clients gain experience with virtual trading, they will become literal clients. This trial service and software is free, without any obligation, Weathersby says.

At the beginning of each trading day, Monday-Friday, a trader receives a $50,000 "virtual" account with which to trade cotton futures. You can trade as much as you like, as often as you like. However, since this is "day trading," the previous day's trading activity will not be carried over.

The program will keep the records of the trades and give "free real time quotes." You can place virtual orders online and receive confirmation in seconds, Weathersby says. You can use the program to learn how to use the Order Management section to view your working, filled, canceled or rejected orders. You may practice using the Real-Time Price Ladder to place a buy/sell stop or buy/sell limit. You can even get expert advice from a PFG broker.

"We encourage you to trade as much as you can to fully experience what it will be like when trading our real online trading account," Weathersby says. "Maximize your potential by utilizing this valuable educational resource.

"As with many things in life, it's often prudent to take something for a test drive before committing to buy," Weathersby explains. "With our simulated online trading, you have just such an opportunity to do so risk free."

You can download the software at www.cotton-futures.com and click the button for "Online Trading Free Demo." The demo is good for 30 days and begins when you sign up.
 

USDA projects little change in ending stocks
U.S. cotton demand in 2000-01 is forecast to marginally exceed production, leaving stocks virtually unchanged from the previous season, according to the latest Cotton and Wool Outlook. Based on the December production forecast and carry-in stocks estimated at 3.9 million bales, total U.S. cotton supplies for 2000-01 are forecast to reach 21.4 million, 400,000 above last season. However, total use of U.S. cotton is also projected to increase 500,000 bales this season to 17.5 million, 3 percent above 1999-2000 and slightly above the five-year average of 17.4 million bales.

For 2000-01, U.S. raw cotton exports are projected to rebound to their highest level since 1995-96. The current forecast -- 7.6 million bales -- is 850,000 bales above last season. Supporting U.S. exports this season are the expected record world cotton use and the decreases from 1999-2000 forecast for foreign production and stocks. In addition, the larger U.S. supplies are aiding this season's expectations. As of the end of November, the Export Sales report indicated that 4.5 million bales have been committed this season, with 1.6 million shipped. This compares with commitments of 4.9 million bales a year ago and shipments of 1.2 million. Although shipments are ahead of last season's pace, U.S. exports need to average about 175,000 bales per week to reach the current estimate. Based on the current projections of U.S. and
world trade, the U.S. share of global exports is estimated at 28 percent, up from about 25 percent in 1999-2000.

U.S. cotton mill use for 2000-01 is projected to decline slightly once again. Mill use is currently estimated at 9.9 million bales, 3 percent below the final 1999-2000 estimate of 10.2 million bales. While U.S. demand for all fibers is expected to grow slowly in 2000 -- after two consecutive years of decline -- U.S. cotton mill demand is losing ground.

Cone moves jobs to Mexico
Cone Mills Corp., headquartered in Greensboro, N.C., is closing a South Carolina textile plant and expanding one in Mexico. The two initiatives are aimed at improving earnings in 2001.

Cone CEO John L. Bakane said the expansion of the Parras Cone joint-venture denim plant in Parras, Mexico, had been planned since the plant opened in 1995. The plant's production capacity will increase by 11 million yards, or 35 percent, with an $18 million investment.

The Raytex plant in Marion, S.C., which manufactures top-of-bed fabrics, "did not have a leadership position in a market dominated by large vertical bedding manufacturers," Bekane said.  Closing the plant will cost the town of Marion around 200 jobs, but will "eliminate significant operating losses which for the first three quarters of 2000 have totaled $4.3 million or $.11 per share on sales of $14.1 million," Bekane said. The target closing date is in early February.
Bekane said Cone will consider offers from other companies to buy the Raytex facility.

Eastern New Mexico growers vote in BWEP
Cotton producers in two counties in eastern New Mexico have voted to create a Boll Weevil Eradication zone. More than 80 percent of the growers and landowners representing around 135 cotton farms in Curry and Roosevelt counties approved the measure in early December. They have not yet elected officers for the district.

Establishing a BWEP program ensures that growers in these counties will not lose access to the nearest gin, which is across the state line in Texas.

TDA hearings will discuss BWEP rules for organic growers
The Texas Department of Agriculture will hold two public hearings Jan. 8 to review the guidelines for organic cotton in active boll weevil eradication zones.

The scheduled hearings were included in the rules which were adopted in June 2000. The rules cover indemnification eligibility and the method for calculating any compensation for organic growers who may need to destroy crops because of infestation in an active eradication zone.

In the hearings, TDA will take comments on any changes that may need to be made in the regulations for the 2001 growing season.

The hearings will be Monday January 8, 2001:

Ginning ahead of last year
U.S. gins had processed nearly 13.4 million running bales as of Dec. 15, according to the Dec. 22 Cotton Ginnings report. That puts ginning ahead of 1998 and 1999, but 1.3 million bales behind the pace of 1997. If the crop reaches the latest USDA estimate, approximately 4 million bales are still to be processed.

Texas, with just shy of 3.7 million bales, is behind last year and 1997. Texas had ginned well over 4 million bales by the same date in both of those years.

Three states, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, had ginned more by Dec. 15 than in any of the previous three years on the same date. North Carolina has almost 1.2 million bales, Tennessee 691,100 and Virginia 135,350.

Some 276,850 bales of American Pima have been baled, fewer than in any of the previous three years.

Texas declared agricultural disaster area
Outgoing Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman last week declared the entire state of Texas an
agriculture disaster area, making producers eligible for USDA emergency farm loans because of losses caused by drought, excessive heat, and other disasters that occurred during 2000.

"The excessive heat and drought have made a devastating year for farmers in Texas and all over the south," said Glickman. "USDA is working to help farmers in Texas and other states during these difficult times."

Also eligible, because they are contiguous, are counties in adjacent states: Curry, Eddy, Otero, Roosevelt, Dona Ana, Lea, and Quay counties in New Mexico; and Beauregard, Calcasieu, Sabine, and Vernon parishes in Louisiana. All other contiguous counties already have been
designated.

This designation makes all qualified family-sized farm operators in both primary and contiguous counties eligible for low-interest emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency. Farmers in eligible counties have until Aug. 19, 2001, to apply for the loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available, repayment ability, and other eligibility requirements.

Combest applauds new ag secretary's USDA experience
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Larry Combest, R-Texas, said he welcomes President-elect George W. Bush's choice of Ann Veneman as secretary of agriculture.

"I look forward to working with Ms. Veneman," Combest said in an official statement. "She knows policy and the way things get done in Washington. All of us will be tested as we continue to strive to solve the problems that have been facing agriculture for several years, and her experience will be very important."

Ms. Veneman was deputy secretary of USDA from 1991 to 1993 and previously was deputy undersecretary of agriculture for international affairs and commodity programs. She was an associate administrator in USDA's  Foreign Agricultural Service from 1986 to 1989.

Ms. Veneman was actively involved in the Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations, NAFTA and the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement. She served as secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture from 1995 to 1999.

USDA estimate drops
All cotton production is forecast at 17.4 million 480-pound bales, down slightly from last month, but up 3 percent from 1999, according to USDA's monthly Crop Production report. Yield is expected to average 619 pounds per harvested acre, down 3 pounds from last month. Survey and ginnings data indicate a 200,000-bale decrease in Texas' estimated production from the November forecast, which more than offset a 150,000-bale increase in California. On Nov. 26, U.S. harvest was 85 percent complete, the same pace as both last year and the five-year average.

ICAC projects drop in production
World cotton production is estimated at 18.6 million tons in 2000-01, about 300,000 tons lower than last season and about 1.3 million tons less than in 1997-98, the International Cotton Advisory Committee reports. Declines in cotton production are expected to take place in four out of the six largest producers in 2000-01: India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Turkey. Small increases will probably take place in the United States, according to the ICAC.

Cotton consumption is expected to exceed cotton production by 1.2 million  tons this season, and 2000-01 ending stocks are projected at 7.5 million tons. International cotton prices, as measured by the Cotlook A Index,  fluctuated around 61 cents per pound during the first three months of
2000-01 but exceeded 65 cents per pound at the end of November 2000. The New York July futures contract is currently around 70 cents per pound. Economic fundamentals suggest that declining stocks will result in higher  international cotton prices this season. The average Cotlook A Index is  expected to reach 66 cents per pound in 2000-01 and 73 cents per pound in
2001-02.

Because of smaller crops in Texas and in Pakistan and India, and a reduction of stocks in China, the spread between the Cotlook A  Index and the Cotlook B Index has narrowed this season. The Cotlook B Index  was 9 percent below the Cotlook A Index in 1999-00 and the difference declined to 5 percent during the first four months of 2000-01.
 
WORLD COTTON SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION
1999/00
2000/01
2001/02
1999/00
2000/01
2001/02
Million Tons
Million Bales
Production
18.95 
18.63 
19.66 
87.0 
85.5 
90.3
Consumption
19.69 
19.84 
20.23 
90.5 
91.1 
92.9
Exports
6.07 
6.14 
6.39 
27.9 
28.2 
29.3
Ending Stocks
8.77 
7.56 
6.99 
40.3 
34.7 
32.5
Cotlook A Index
52.80 
66* 
73* 
52.80 
66* 
73*
*U.S. cents per pound. Statistical estimates are based on current estimates of supply and use; 95% confidence intervals extend 12 cents per pound above  and below each point estimate.

ICAC Plenary Meeting reports now online
The ICAC has posted a number of the reports from the recent Plenary Meeting in Cairns, Australia, including the 19-page report of the Expert Panel on Biotechnology. The reports are in Portable Document Format, so you will have to download Acrobat Reader if you don't already have it. It's free.

Jan. 30
McClendon: Council is full speed ahead with technology
The National Cotton Council is devoting considerable resources to technology advances, including efforts to improve cotton yield and quality, NCC President Robert McLendon told the 2001 Beltwide Cotton Production Conference in Anaheim, Calif., Wednesday.

That effort is necessary because a combination of yield and quality losses has "wrung most of the profits out of cotton production in recent years," and "world prices continue to languish below production costs," he said. "Together we have to find some solutions and we have to do it quickly."

McLendon’s report described council-supported yield and quality objectives that he said are fundamental to improving the U.S. cotton industry’s profitability and maintaining its competitive edge.

"These quality and yield objectives must be a part of our overall strategy and must not be overlooked as we continue to press for second- and third-generation developments in genetic improvements," said McLendon, a Leary, Ga., producer.

He said the NCC’s Quality Task Force is advancing quality and yield in tandem. That panel is getting more involved in cottonseed breeding programs by state researchers, he said, to encourage more participation in localized breeding programs and ensure the maintenance of publicly developed strains as public property.

"Many industry leaders have voiced their concern that the basic genetic components of today’s dominant varieties may not be stress-tolerant," McLendon said. "A major concern is that cottonseed breeding programs that have focused on genetic modifications or obtaining other specific fiber properties may have lost seed vigor in the process."

McLendon pointed to boll weevil eradication, Bt cotton commercialization and 12-row equipment as examples of the value that technology offers cotton farmers. He encouraged growers to take full advantage of the available technology and reminded them that restoration of industry profitability hinges on expanding U.S. cotton markets; reducing production, processing and distribution costs; and maintaining a healthy policy partnership with the federal government.

Regarding farm policy, which may be amended or rewritten before its scheduled expiration following the 2002 crop, McLendon said he came away from a recent meeting with President-elect Bush, Vice President-elect Cheny and Agriculture Secretary nominee Ann Veneman with the impression that the new administration will be supportive of policy adjustments aimed at shoring up producer income.

He said NCC leadership agrees that certain provisions of current farm law need to be retained, including a marketing loan keyed to the world cotton price, the three-step competitiveness program and planting flexibility. They also agree that new farm law should provide a better income safety net. McLendon said a special NCC industrywide farm policy committee continues to evaluate policy options with the goal of developing consensus on specific program recommendations to be presented during early February House hearings on commodity titles.

Among options the committee will try to reach consensus on in advance of Congressional hearings on commodity titles are:

  • The best payment form, whether it should be the current fixed, de-coupled payments, or keyed (coupled) to acreage or production or a combination of coupled and de-coupled;
  • Whether payment bases and yields should be re-computed.


    • "Of course, we’ll have to examine all the proposed delivery systems in light of what’s legal under World Trade Organization rules," McLendon said.

    He said because many countries will continue to outspend the U.S. by substantial margins even after negotiated WTO agricultural subsidy reductions, a healthy partnership between the U.S. government and U.S. agriculture is an absolute necessity. It also underscores the importance of "our maintaining a strong, unified voice through the Council as new farm policy is debated in the months ahead."

    NCC unveils upgraded risk management program
    The National Cotton Council's revamped Internet-based risk management tool will be back online Friday, the council announced Wednesday at the Beltwide Production Conference in Anaheim, Calif. CRMN II, for Cotton Risk Management Network II requires no software installation or daily downloads. All that is needed is access to the members only area of NCC’s Web site, www.cotton.org.

    CRMN II, supported by a grant from Syngenta to The Cotton Foundation, provides NCC members with a range of market data, news and analytical tools. Data are updated continuously and additional components such as farm management tools and market wizards can be introduced without inconvenience to users.

    Features include:

  • Futures market activity for all contracts of cotton, corn, soybeans and wheat;
  • Trading contracts for the past five years;
  • Contract charting capability;
  • Market news and activity, including spot prices for various markets and weekly mill delivered prices;
  • World price data, including the "A" and "B" indexes and the growths included in each, the adjusted world price, the loan rate, certificate values, coarse count adjustment and the transportation adjustment;
  • A price model with a current benchmark world cotton price and variables which historically have explained 95 percent of cotton price behavior to help in producing a season-average world cotton price forecast;
  • Historic relationships between the world price and other price series, such as New York futures, for use in making comparisons of price behavior;
  • Information about the cost of "put" and "call" options on the New York Cotton Exchange;
  • A marketing events calendar.


    • Fertilizer offered online in 'real time'
    At a time when farmers in cotton-growing areas are having trouble finding fertilizer for spring planting, Powerfarm Inc. has begun offering what it calls "real-time pricing" for fertilizer products through its Web site, Powerfarm.com.

    Through strategic partnerships with multiple fertilizer manufacturers, Powerfarm claims it now has instant pricing available on 20 of the more common fertilizer blends and products, along with the ability to request additional fertilizer blends. Until now, fertilizer was available through Powerfarm.com by requesting a product and allowing an agronomist to manually return a price and complete the order, the company says.

    "Our new approach to fertilizer is exciting for a couple of reasons," stated Tad Mozena, spokesman for the company.  "First, it allows Powerfarm users to get instant price quotes for the fertilizer products they want, and second it allows us to become much more efficient in the pricing and processing of fertilizer orders."

    Powerfarm Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ag Services of America, based in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

    To use the service, you have to give your name, e-mail address and ZIP code and choose a password. Then you log on and choose a product. If what you want is available, the program returns a list of locations and prices, and you can add what you want to your shopping cart. You can also request a delivery quote, but that is not instantaneous. You are asked to fill out another form, after which "we will contact you with a price quote for the delivery of the specified fertilizer product."

    The process is somewhat circular, with numerous error messages popping up when the requested product was not available. There's also this toll-free telephone number, which might end up saving time and frustration: 1-800-277-1525

    Gins catching up with production
    The U.S. cotton crop entered the new year with ginning barely 1 million bales behind the season's expected production. U.S. gins had processed 16.1 million running bales of the 2000 crop as of Jan. 1, according to USDA's Dec. 10 Cotton Ginnings report. The Agriculture Department's revised production estimate, also issued Dec. 10, pegs the crop at 17.1 million standard bales.

    The production forecast  is down 1 percent from the previous month but up 1 percent from 1999. Yield is expected to average 631 pounds per harvested acre, up 12 pounds from the December estimate. The increase in yield is the result of a reduction in harvested acreage, as unharvested fields continue to be abandoned. The most significant production change indicated by ginnings and survey data is a decrease of 150,000 bales of upland cotton in Texas.

    The current production report projects Texas will abandon 2 million acres of the 6.2 million acres planted to cotton in 2000. Texas has ginned 3.8 million bales, the third lowest number on the same date in the last four years.

    Other states that have ginned more than 1 million bales are: California 2.3 million, Mississippi 1.7 million, Georgia 1.5 million, Arkansas 1.4 million and North Carolina 1.3 million.
     

    Merger mania strikes again
    As the winter chill has folks in the U.S. Cotton Belt wrapping up to keep warm, two major textile manufacturers are wrapping up deals they hope will heat up their business. And if you are throwing another blanket on the bed and another bath rug next to the tub, you are helping their cause.

    WestPoint Stevens Inc. has bought out a rival blanket maker, and Springs Industries has taken over a yarn plant formerly owned by one of its suppliers.

    Stevens acquired the Chatham Consumer Products division of CMI Industries Inc. The Chatham plant in Elkin, N.C., manufactures woven and nonwoven blankets with estimated annual sales of $35 million.

    Stevens produces bed linens, towels, blankets, comforters and accessories marketed under the brand names Grand Patrician, Patrician, Martex, Utica, Stevens, Lady Pepperell and Vellux. Licensed brands include Ralph Lauren Home, Disney Home, Sanderson, Designers Guild, Joe Boxer, Glynda Turley and Serta Perfect Sleeper. WestPoint Stevens is also a manufacturer of the Martha Stewart bed and bath lines.

    Springs picked up the Cartersville, Ga., yarn mill previously owned by Maybank Textile Corp. The mill supplies yarn for Springs' bath rugs. The 130 employees at the Cartersville facility have been retained by Springs. The plant, located at Erwin Street, will now be referred to as the Springs Cartersville Plant.

    Springs operates rug manufacturing facilities in Calhoun and Ellijay, Ga., Nashville, Tenn., and North Vernon, Ind. The rugs are sold under Springs brand names Springmaid, Wamsutta and Regal, as well as private labels.

    Springs also produces sheets, towels, comforters and window treatments. Springs' major brands are Wamsutta, Springmaid, Graber, Bali, Nanik, and Dundee. Springs also markets bed and bath products for institutional and hospitality customers, home sewing fabrics, and baby bedding and baby apparel products.  The company operates facilities in 13 U.S. states and owns marketing and distribution subsidiaries in Canada and Mexico.

    Feb. 14
    Burnett leaving Cotton Council
    Phillip C. Burnett plans to step down as chief executive officer of the National Cotton Council to become president and CEO of The Seam, a new electronic cotton-marketing firm. The announcement came Monday during the council's Annual Meeting in San Diego.

    Burnett will assume his duties at The Seam on March 1. The Memphis-based company was launched in November, 2000, under the leadership of cotton industry veteran Louis Baioni, who is retiring.

    Burnett praised the council and the industry, saying his decision was made with mixed emotions: "I have thoroughly enjoyed my 12 years as council CEO. It's a great organization, with exceptional industry and staff leadership," he said. "I can't imagine a job that could have been more personally satisfying to me during my working career."

    Burnett's successor has not yet been named. NCC President Robert E. McLendon said the Council Operating Committee expects to finalize and recommend to the board a transition plan "that will draw on the strong, experienced staff we have in place. Our priorities are to maintain momentum in addressing key issues while assuring a smooth transition to new staff leadership. The industry will benefit from the solid senior staff that is in place."

    In his announcement, Burnett said, "My focus this week is on the business of the council. My first priority is to assist in the work of developing policy for the remainder of the year. There are a number of critical issues that must be resolved this week. Then we need to turn our attention to a
    smooth and efficient management transition."

    In addition to the responsibilities as council CEO, Burnett also served as CEO of Cotton Council International and as executive vice president of The Cotton Foundation. A native of Hollandale, Miss.,  Burnett first joined the council in 1968 as a field services representative, assuming responsibilities for the Washington operation in 1972. He left the council in 1982 to serve as
    president of the Cotton Board, returning as CEO in 1989.

    WestPoint Stevens to close sheeting plant
    WestPoint Stevens will close its Seneca, S.C., plant by the end of March, the company announced Monday. The sheeting-manufacturing plant dates back to 1898.

    The company expects that more than 400 employees will lose their jobs, although a small number  likely will be able to move to other nearby WestPoint Stevens plants.

    The plant shut-down is part of the company's eight-point restructuring program and was planned for in the restructuring budget announced last June, company officials said in a prepared statement.

    "We are continuing to rationalize our manufacturing operations to meet the challenges of doing business in a global economy," said Lanny L. Bledsoe, senior vice president for manufacturing.  "Because of significant modernization in the company, we are now able to consolidate manufacturing into facilities that provide the most efficient workflow, and the production at Seneca is no longer necessary."

    U.S. gins within 1 million bales of projected production
    U.S. cotton gins had processed 16.5 million running bales as of Jan. 15, according to the USDA's latest Cotton Ginnings report. This is the largest amount since 1997 of cotton ginned at this point of the season.

    Total production of the crop is projected at 17.2 million standard bales. Because gins cannot produce bales of precisely 480 pounds, there is always a slight difference between the number of ginned bales and the final production figure.

    Among states with significant increases over last year, North Carolina has an increase of almost 575,000 bales, California 379,000 bales, South Carolina 122,000 bales, and Tennessee 117,000 bales.

    A few states show decreases from last year, chief among them Texas which has so far dropped 1.1 million bales. Alabama has 91,000 bales less than last year at this time, and Mississippi 3,900 bales less.

    Sticky cotton workshop in July
    Methods to separate sticky cotton from non-sticky cotton on a commercial scale and to determine threshold levels for spinning sticky cotton under varying environmental conditions will be shared at an international workshop July 2-4, 2001 at Lille, France. The workshop is the final activity of the International Cotton Advisory Committee's project "Improvement of the Marketability of Cotton Produced in Zones Affected by Stickiness." It is the goal of the project that the methodologies developed and the experiences gained will benefit all cotton-producing countries affected by stickiness.

    The project, which was substantially supported by the Common Fund for Commodities, is a joint effort of teams from Sudan and France. The Sudan Cotton Company, Agricultural Research Corporation of Sudan, Cotton Program of the CIRAD-CA, France, and the Institute de Textile de France collaborated in testing stickiness and spinning tests.

    The official language of the workshop is English, and simultaneous translation into French will be available most of the time. The Common Fund is able to provide $250 in financial support to participants from developing countries. More information on the workshop is available on the ICAC's website at http://www.icac.org/icac/meetings/cfc11/cfc11.html.
    More information on the project is available at this address: http://www.icac.org/icac/projects/commonfund/stickiness/stickinessmain.html (Adobe Acrobat required)

    March 27
    NCC makes cotton's case to House Ag Committee
    Washington, D.C. — The National Cotton Council was the first commodity group to volunteer specifics of its own farm commodity program as the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee on Thursday convened hearings on specifics for future national farm policy.

    Committee Chairman Larry Combest, R-Texas, has challenged commodity and farm groups to provide detailed policy proposals, as well as how their proposals would affect related industries, impact America's ability to move product in the world market, how it would comport with U.S. trade agreements, and the impact on the federal budget and overall spending on farm programs.

    NCC Executive Committee Chairman Robert E. McLendon testified that the organization's farm policy concepts are full-production programs that provide a reasonable level of support for farmers and ranchers while indirectly underpinning cotton's processing and handling
    infrastructure. Projected costs are generally in line with outlays over the past several years, including special emergency appropriations.

    The council made separate recommendations regarding upland and extra long staple cotton.

    For upland cotton:

    For ELS cotton: For more information, visit the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture Web site at: http://agriculture.house.gov.

    Booker named Council CEO
    Gaylon B. Booker will succeed Phil Burnett as president and chief executive officer of the National Cotton Council of America.

    "After carefully evaluating options for maintaining the strongest possible staff, especially during the period of new farm policy development, the board asked Gaylon Booker to forego retirement and accept the position effective March 1," said James E. Echols, newly elected chairman of the NCC.

    Booker, who has been with the council his entire 40-year career, had announced his retirement at the end of 2000. He had served as council senior vice president since1988 and and was scheduled to fill a consultant’s role as the council addressed farm policy and other industry priorities.

    In electing Booker to the top staff position, the board acted on a recommendation from the Council’s Operations Committee.

    "I look forward to this new opportunity in my career with the council," said  Booker. "I will rely on a strong foundation of senior level staff and exceptional industry leadership as together we focus on new farm policy and other  industry priorities in the months ahead."

    Burnett announced his resignation effective March 1 to become  president and CEO of the electronic cotton marketing firm, The Seam Inc., of Memphis.

    Echols elected NCC chairman
    James EcholsJames E. Echols, a merchant from Cordova, Tenn., is the first U.S. cotton industry member to lead the National Cotton Council as its elected chairman. He was elected at the NCC’s Annual Meeting, Jan. 21, 2001, in San Diego, Calif.

    Echols, who served as a NCC vice president in 2000, succeeds Robert E. McLendon, who was the NCC’s 49th president and who will chair NCC’s Executive Committee in 2001. Echols
    also will serve as chairman of the NCC board, as stipulated in the new NCC officer structure.

    Echols is past president of the NCC’s export promotions arm, Cotton Council International; the Southern Cotton Association; and the American Cotton Shippers Association, of which he currently serves as a director. He also is a former member of the New York Board of Trade Board of Managers.

    Echols began his career with Hohenberg Brothers Co. in 1960 as a trainee. In 1971, he was named a vice president of the company and in 1988 was named senior vice president. In 1990, Cargill, the parent company, announced his selection as president of Hohenberg and chief executive officer of the Worldwide Cotton Product Line, which includes the merchandising firm Ralli Brothers and Coney based in Liverpool, England.

    A native of Memphis, Echols attended Delta State University and graduated from Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis) with a marketing degree.

    Also elected as NCC officers for 2001 were: Vice Presidents Fred Underwood, warehouseman, and Wayne Martin, crusher, both of Lubbock, Texas, and Secretary-Treasurer W.L. Carter, Jr., producer, Scotland Neck, N.C.

    Re-elected vice presidents were: Robert W. Greene, ginner, Courtland, Ala.; Van A. May, cooperative official, Lubbock, Texas; and W. Duke Kimbrell, manufacturer, Gastonia, N.C.

    Dr. Mark Lange of Memphis was elected staff vice president for policy analysis and program coordinator. Lange formerly served as director of NCC’s Economic Services and Information Services departments. He will provide support for development of council policy governing such areas as farm law and trade as well as internal policy affecting council membership and interaction between the seven industry sectors. He also will help coordinate a council staff work plan to address recommendations industry delegates approve at the council’s annual and board meetings.

    Re-elected NCC staff officers include: Craig Brown, vice president, producer affairs, Memphis; A. John Maguire vice president, Washington operations; and Allen Terhaar, vice president, international affairs, Washington, D.C.
     

    Supak retires
    By Blair Fannin, Texas A&M University

    Dr. James R. Supak recently retired as associate department head and Extension program leader for soil and crop sciences at Texas A&M University.

    Supak joined the Texas Agricultural Extension Service in January 1972 serving as area agronomist headquartered at the Texas A&M Research and Extension Center at Lubbock. His initial assignment was to work with grain crops and forages in Extension District 2. In 1974, he became Extension agronomist-cotton and worked with all aspects of cotton for District 2,
    and surrounding districts.

    In 1992, Supak was named the state Extension cotton specialist and moved to College Station. He served in that position until 1994 when he moved into his current role as associate department head and Extension program leader for soil and crop sciences.

    Supak earned his bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees from Texas A&M University. He has received numerous awards throughout his career from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, High Plains Association of Crop Consultants and the Extension service. He was named Extension Cotton Specialist of the Year in 1993.

    "I've really enjoyed the work that I've been involved in during the last 29 years," Supak said. "Lubbock was a great place to raise a family and the Texas High Plains is a great place to work for a person involved in agriculture. That's especially true for someone working with cotton — a
    crop I've been associated with all of my life. I've enjoyed working with the people, including the growers, the individuals and organizations that support the cotton industry and my Extension and research colleagues, especially the county Extension agents."

    Supak has been active in several professional organizations and technical conferences including the American Society of Agronomy, Epsilon Sigma Phi, Texas Agricultural Specialists Association, Beltwide Cotton Conferences and the West Texas Agricultural Chemicals Institute.

    Supak and his wife, Pat, have four children and eight grandchildren. "At this time, I have no definite post-retirement work plans," Supak said. "We're planning to do some traveling, and there are some hobbies and church work I want to pursue. But, in the not too distant future, I do
    anticipate that I will, in some form or fashion, again establish some involvement with agriculture and especially the cotton industry."

    More cuts at Stevens
    WestPoint Stevens Inc. is cutting 125 jobs at its Rosemary Finishing and Fabricating plants, as well as Rosemary Distribution Center, all in Roanoke Rapids, N.C.  The shutdown of a fourth facility, Rosemary Greige Plant, was completed recently.

    The company announced last month that it will close its Seneca, S.C., plant by the end of March, cutting more than 400 jobs.

    "While this is a significant cutback at our Rosemary Complex, we will continue operations at each of these three facilities," said Lanny L. Bledsoe, senior vice president for manufacturing. "These facilities are being impacted by a companywide strategy to reduce and control inventory.  And with the closing of Rosemary Greige Plant, which produced a large portion of goods to be finished, fabricated and distributed from the other three units, there is simply not as much processing and handling at Roanoke Rapids as before."

    The Rosemary Greige Plant shutdown, which was announced on Oct. 6 and completed last month, is part of the company's eight-point plan to "rationalize manufacturing and streamline its operations," the company said.

    "Our continuing consolidation of manufacturing, along with recent technological advances, have enabled the company to meet production demands with less physical capacity and less labor," Bledsoe said.

    Production estimate holds steady
    The February production estimate remained at 17.2 million bales, with an average yield of 631 pounds per acre, according to USDA's latest Crop Production report issued Feb. 8. The crop was harvested from 13.1 million acres after about 2.5 million planted acres were abandoned.

    Ginning stood at 16.6 million running bales as of Feb. 1, according to the Feb. 8 Cotton Ginnings report. Texas contributed 3.9 million bales to that total, California 2.5 million, Mississippi 1.7 million, Georgia 1.6 million, and North Carolina and Arkansas 1.4 million each.

    Producers intend to plant 15.9 million acres of cotton this spring, up 2.3 percent from 2000, according to the National Cotton Council's annual planting intentions survey. A projection from Sparks Co., a reliable industry source, pegs planting intentions at 16.2 million acres, an increase of 4.3 percent.