Agricultural News
Harvey Schroeder Urges Cotton Farmers to Put their Best Effort in for Consumers
Tue, 12 Jul 2022 08:14:25 CDT
Farm Director, KC Sheperd, caught up with the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Cotton Council, Harvey Schroeder and talked about how things are looking for cotton farmers in Oklahoma at this time.
"There is some good cotton out there and there is some not-so-good cotton out there and a lot of it is totally dependent on rainfall," Schroeder said.
Some cotton in areas such as the Lawton area, Schroeder said, was washed away by the rain. By now, he said, it has had some time to recover, so hopefully, it is doing just that.
For cotton that has been washed away, Schroeder said deciding to replant or not depends on the timing and the variety of seed being used.
In some areas of Oklahoma, Schroeder said they have not had any moisture since the good rains that came a few weeks ago. The wind and the heat have dried that cotton out, he added.
Schroeder said moisture is key for farmers who are planting no-till with a cover crop. There have already been a few sandstorms, he added, which is not ideal for the cotton.
"This is Oklahoma summer, and our cotton likes its feet wet, and its head dry and in the sunshine, so it is a marvelous plant for photosynthesis to take place in," Schroeder said.
Schroeder also talked about the recent drop in cotton prices.
"It's not just cotton," Schroeder said. "All of the commodities went down."
June 30, Schroeder said, is where cotton futures fell. July '22 cotton futures, he added, fell 32 cents.
"Normally, we see traders go from one commodity to another back and forth, and as it goes up and down is where they make their money in it," Schroeder said. "I think this is an economic thing. I believe our economy has topped out and at that week it was a hard downward trend."
Schroeder said he is unsure of when the cotton market will stop sliding downward.
"Our input costs have changed so drastically and too rapidly," Schroeder said.
For many farmers, it costs 375 dollars to run a tractor for a day and they have to pay their hired hands around 20 dollars per hour.
"Seed prices are up, equipment prices are up, interest prices are up, and I think that has been a contributor to what we have seen in the fall, but I understand interests going up and it's just part of doing business," Schroeder said.
For farmers, Schroeder recommends putting together a budget.
"I think we are going to see some shifts in plantings," Schroeder said. "We may see some milo enter the picture in some places where we hadn't seen it before. We may see wheat acreage come up and we may see a barley acreage increase."
Farmers are resourceful, Schroeder said, and they will find a place that gives them an opportunity to make a profit one way or another. When commodity prices were high, the high input prices were not as big of a deal, Schroeder said, but now that prices have dropped again, times are hard.
"I know some folks that are raising some barley and chopping it for cow feed that's working great," Schroeder said.
Schroeder urges farmers to stay the course and give their crops the opportunity to grow.
"You can't starve a profit out of cotton," Schroeder said. "There are certain things it needs, and you know if you are a cotton farmer what needs to be there."
With high prices of fertilizer, Schroeder said to still be sure to use the correct amount for the crop.
Schroeder capitalized on the benefits that the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol can provide for cotton farmers.
"We have got probably one of the best tools in our toolbox that a lot of people aren't using and this is the Cotton Trust Protocol," Schroeder said. "We are doing things already in western Oklahoma that fit right into it, and I think if people would look at that and understand that sustainability is what our customers want, and that if we are going to be good producers, we are going to provide what our customers want because if we don't do it, somebody else will."
There have been about 150 cotton businesses that have joined the trust protocol, Schroeder said, and that is the cotton that consumers are looking for.
"I think there is going to be a market there for 6 million bales this coming season and it will be nice to have a chunk of that in Oklahoma," Schroeder said.
If producers have questions or want to take advantage of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, they can visit trustuscotton.org
Click the LISTEN BAR below to listen to KC Sheperd and Harvey Schroeder talk about cotton condition, prices, and more.
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