Cotton producers and ginners throughout the High Plains region are ramping up harvest and ginning activity on the 2021 cotton crop after receiving almost ideal weather to finish out the crop over the past month and a half.
Generally open weather in September and October allowed producers to overcome a later than normal start. With the finish line for the 2021 crop in sight producers are actively applying harvest aid materials and getting ready to hit the fields.
Area gins have also been preparing and appear ready to go as the USDA Cotton Classing Office in Lubbock reports that it has already received around 1,800 bales from eight different gins around the area. Yield expectations remain optimistic for both irrigated and dryland acres as producers appear poised to harvest a crop that should eclipse long-term average production levels. However, production estimates for the region are still fairly diverse, generally ranging from 4.5 million to over 5 million bales.
“The 2021 crop is one that has been especially hard to pinpoint,” says Plains Cotton Growers Chief Executive Officer Kody Bessent. “We have been very fortunate, with near optimum growing conditions prevailing since early June that provided timely rainfall and plenty of warm, sunny days.”
The result is becoming in creasingly evident in the fields where below normal acreage abandonment will allow upwards of 85 percent of the roughly 4 million acres planted to be harvested.
Adding to the optimism for producers is a strong demand situation that has been able to support cotton prices at levels above 90 cents per pound for several months leading up to harvest. The recent market surge above $1.00 will certainly add fuel to the effort to get cotton out of the field and ginned in a timely manner, although how much of the crop will be able to cash in at current price levels is unclear at this point.
A plethora of additional factors, including speculation of funds, cotton flow logistics, textile demand and overall cotton supply, will influence how much demand for cotton will eventually be satisfied at these higher price points. What the price surge will do is allow producers to potentially realize prices at a profitable level when compared to the cost of production.
Weather-wise, the forecast for the next two weeks includes the arrival of multiple cool fronts putting the area in a more seasonal pattern when compared to recent weeks. Fortunately, the outlook does not include much in the way of rain, which should allow harvest activities to continue to gain momentum and see the area fully engaged in the harvest by the end of October.