A new facility could expand the cotton industry

Cotton growing in the field.

After eight years in the making, work is almost complete for the new 30,000-square-foot USDA Cotton Classification Complex in Lubbock, Texas.

Deputy Administrator for the Agricultural Marketing Service, Cotton & Tobacco Program, Darryl Earnest, says the facility is critical for the U.S. industry for many reasons.

“It does serve as the largest concentrated region of cotton production in the U.S., which is a vital part of the cotton industry in general, but also a key source of cotton that is exported out every year of the U.S. It’s very highly sought after from a lot of the importers in other countries,” said Earnest.

He adds they wanted to use Texas Tech University as the source of outreach and future employment opportunities.

The complex is set to open next month.

Related:

How the National Cotton Council is helping producers understand policy

No Rest for the West: How the ongoing drought is impacting cotton and wind power

Down to Earth: cotton is a sustainability star






LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Freight costs are increasing out of one of Brazil’s major southern ports due to the “biblical flooding”, obscuring rail and road passages to and from Rio Grande Do Sul.
Brazilian producers are facing losses of 4 million acres of corn and soybean crops yet to be harvested after nearly 31 inches of rain has fallen and additional rain in the forecast.
Economists with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service project the Panhandle fires caused $123 million in preliminary agricultural losses.