The Hits Keep Coming: January’s WASDE wasn’t great for cotton producers

This month’s WASDE Report offered little support to cotton growers who were already having a rough year. The Farm Bureau says the hits keep coming.

“There was an increase in estimated production numbers and a decline in exports and consumption, which caused ending stocks to increase by about nine percent. Basically, production has bounced back this year in cotton, largely due to better-growing conditions in Texas, but demand has fallen over last year. This has led to a nearly 15 percent decrease in price since last year,” said Betty Resnick.

Since the 2018 Farm Bill, cotton growers have seen their production costs go up by nearly 30 percent. Analysts say this year’s input costs likely will not provide much support.

Related Stories
The Sheinbaum–Rollins meeting signals progress, but the focus remains on fully containing screwworm before cross-border movement resumes.
Recent U.S.–China trade developments provided a small lift for soy markets, though most traders are waiting for concrete purchase data before making major moves.
According to Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins, the top three soy-crushing companies in Bangladesh agreed to buy $1 billion worth of U.S. soybeans over the next year.
A strong corn export pull is supportive of bids; soybeans need steady vessel programs or fresh sales to firm cash.
USDA will meet part of November SNAP benefits under court direction, citing insufficient funds for full payments.
An import lag for ground beef will likely look different than last year’s egg shortage. The difference comes down to biosecurity and market flexibility.

Agriculture Shows
From soil to harvest. Top Crop is an all-new series about four of the best farmers in the world—Dan Luepkes, of Oregan, Illinois; Cory Atley, of Cedarville, Ohio; Shelby Fite, of Jackson Center, Ohio; Russell Hedrick, of Hickory, North Carolina—reveals what it takes for them to make a profitable crop. It all starts with good soil, patience, and a strong planter setup.
Champions of Rural America is a half-hour dive into the legislative priorities for Rural America. Join us as we interview members of the Congressional Western Caucus to learn about efforts in Washington to preserve agriculture and tackles the most important topics in the ag industry on Champions of Rural America!
Featuring members of Congress, federal and state officials, ag and food leaders, farmers, and roundtable panelists for debates and discussions.
The goal of “Where the Food Comes From” is as simple as its name implies — host Chip Carter takes you along on the journey of where our food comes from — and we don’t just mean to the supermarket (though that’s part of the big picture!). But beyond where it comes from, how it gets there, and all the links in the chain that make that happen.
Join markets specialist Scott Shellady, better known as the Cow Guy, as he covers the market-close, breaking down headlines that drive the commodities and equities markets with commentary from respected industry heavyweights.