Comeback king: Cotton production is up in Louisiana. The USA Today Network of Louisiana reports farmers across the state have planted 200,000 acres of the crop so far this year, a 43% increase over 2016. The current acreage is just a fraction of the 800,000 acres of cotton planted just over a decade ago, but it’s almost double the all-time low of 115,000 acres in 2015. Though Louisiana has a diversified crop mix—with soybeans being the dominant crop—economics is driving the resurgence of cotton, says Jay Hardwick, National Cotton Council chairman. “Prices are starting to inch up, world stocks are diminishing and our quality creates a demand from the global textile industry,” he says. Read more.
On demand: HyreCar, a Los Angeles peer-to-peer carsharing marketplace, has expanded to Louisiana and Florida, the company announced this week. The startup allows vehicle owners to rent their idle cars to strangers looking to earn extra money by driving for Uber, Lyft, or other ridesharing services. The rentals are available to drivers 21 and older. Renters can connect with car owners via HyreCar’s web-based platform or mobile app. Drivers can choose to rent vehicles by day, week or month to drive specifically for ridesharing services. The Washington Post profiled the company in April when founder Marciano Kim proclaimed the company would be bigger than Airbnb. HyreCar says it currently operates in 28 states across the US. Read more.
Time to play: J.C. Penney Co. says it’s opening toy shops in all its stores with a bigger assortment of playthings available in time for the holiday season as it seeks new avenues of growth amid weak sales. Reuters reports the department store wants to cut its dependence on apparel, which made up more than half its sales last year, as more shoppers buy online and from fast-fashion rivals such as Forever 21. The company—in the process of closing its store at Cortana Mall—had doubled its online assortment of toys over the last year. The retailer will sell toys from brands including Mattel’s Fisher Price, Hasbro, and Playmobil, with some stores also featuring a play area. Read more.
