It has been a tough go recently for U.S. cotton growers. One group in Texas says they are still just trying to break even.
“We’re still following very short of where a break-even price for a producer is today. Cotton buying, for example, the break-even price when compared to an average production history or an individual base yield. Now we’re looking at 90 something cents or plus in order to meet the demand of cost of production,” said Kody Bessent, CEO of Plains Cotton Growers.
Bessent says this is why crop insurance is so valuable. Corn, wheat, sorghum, and peanuts are also feeling the pinch.
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