A federal report has confirmed concerns about cotton production losses in Louisiana and Mississippi because of the wet fall. The U.S. Department of Agriculture this week lowered production estimates from October, a month that brought abnormally wet weather to parts of the region, delaying harvest and lowering the quality of many farmers’ cotton. Farmers also began the year with fewer cotton acres, a continuation of a trend away from the costly-to-produce crop to corn and soybeans that offered better prices. Based on Nov. 1 conditions, the USDA estimate production in Louisiana will hit 360,000 bales. That’s up from 2008’s hurricane-affected crop but would still be one of the lowest production years since 1975.
Weather takes toll on La., Miss., and cotton
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