Harvest activity continues to accelerate across the Texas High Plains and producers are reporting both good yields and quality on the crop gathered to date. USDA Agricultural Market Service Cotton Classing Office reports indicate a substantial uptick in the number of gins underway for the 2021 ginning season.
Good weather has certainly helped the advance in harvest and, subsequently, ginning activity but a more seasonal pattern is trying to assert itself. A small front that passed
A small front that passed through the area overnight October 15, brought freezing temperatures to a small portion of the High Plains, north and west of Lubbock, in the early morning hours of October 16.
It is estimated that less than 15 percent of the crop has been harvested thus far. Through October 15 cotton had been received from a total of 35 gins throughout the High Plains region. As of October 21, the number of gins from which cotton samples are being received has nearly doubled to 64 with 44 gins sending cotton to the Lubbock office and 20 gins actively sending cotton to the Lamesa facility. Thus far, samples from just
Thus far, samples from just over 132,000 bales have been processed between the two offices and the average number of samples continues to increase as more gins commence operations. A total of 107,482 samples were classed for the week spanning October 15 through October 21 compared to just over 25,000 the prior week.
A recap of the current week and season to date quality reports from the Lubbock and Lamesa offices is included below. The complete weekly Classing Office reports for Lubbock, Lamesa and Abilene are available on the PCG website at: https://plainscotton.org/qualityreports/