Tuesday, April 29, 1997

Cotton growers plan to cut cotton acres by 7 percent

By J.T. SMITH / Farm Editor

Cotton growers will plant 13.6 million acres in 1997, down 7.1 percent from 1996 plantings. That's from National Cotton Council's planting survey.

Upland cotton growers will plant 13.4 million acres, and the balance will be 239,000 acres of Extra Long Staple (ELS) cotton, down 7.4 percent.

The NCC says farmers will be reducing cotton acreage this year partly because they can get better prices for commodities such as corn and soybeans.

In the Midsouth region of the nation, acreage planted to cotton will fall by 10.5 percent to 3.5 million acres. Here in the Southwest, cotton plantings will drop by 9.6 percent to 5.4 million acres.

The Southeast region of the country will remain almost steady, with about a 1 percent drop. Cotton acreage in the West will stay virtually the same.

Dr. Kent Lanclos of the National Cotton Council says cotton acreage actually harvested in 1997 likely will be about 13 million acres - after average abandonment - with a yield of 660 pounds per acre for the entire Cotton Belt. Lanclos expects total U.S. harvest at 17.1 to 18.5 million bales.

Producers Marketing Cooperative meeting

Producers Marketing Cooperative, Inc., (PMCI) is having its annual membership meeting and board of directors meeting Thursday in San Angelo.

The membership meeting begins at 10 a.m., with the board of directors meeting to follow. Both meetings are in the Texas A&M Research and Extension Center. For more, contact the PMCI offices at (915) 655-1783.

Rolling Plains and Stephenville PCAs honored

Two area lending cooperatives were among 12 honored by the Farm Credit Bank of Texas for outstanding performance in 1996.

Rolling Plains Production Credit Association (PCA) of Stamford and the Stephenville PCA both received Farm Credit Achievement Awards. The awards recognize the PCAs for rigid financial performance standards in credit quality, capital management, earnings, and liquidity. Awards were presented at the 10th Farm Credit District meeting in San Antonio this month.