Irrigating cotton makes ‘cents’
Irrigating cotton makes sense and “cents,” says Amanda Smith, University of Georgia department of agricultural and applied economics in Tifton. Smith discussed the economics of irrigating cotton at the recent Beltwide Cotton Conferences in Orlando, Fla. She said advantages include increased yield, reduced yield variability and improved profit potential.
La Niña to affect Cotton Belt in 2012
Add David Zierden, Florida State climatologist, to the list of weather experts predicting a continuation of La Niña and dry conditions through winter and at least into spring planting season across the U.S. Cotton Belt.
Zierden, who works from the Florida Climate Center and Center for Ocean-atmospheric Prediction Studies at Florida State University in Tallahassee, opened the 2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences in Orlando with less than good news about likely weather patterns.
Weather tops list of cotton farmer issues
Weather, to no one’s surprise, topped the list of 2011 concerns for cotton consultants and their clients from Texas to North Carolina. And, based on regional reports during the annual Cotton Consultants Conference, weather issues included the gamut from record-setting drought, unrelenting heat, devastating floods, humidity and hail stones as big as lemons. The Consultants Conference is a kick-off for the annual National Cotton Council’s Beltwide Cotton Conferences, held this year in Orlando, Fla.
Ag can be profitable, with proper management
The assumption that there is no money to be made in agriculture simply doesn’t mesh with the facts.
“Since 1995 the top 25 percent of farm managers earned more than 10 percent on their investments,” says David Kohl, professor emeritus, Agricultural and Applied Economics, Virginia Tech.
Depreciation: useful tool for farmers
Depreciation is a valuable tool for farmers and ranchers to use in limiting tax liabilities, but they should be cautious about over-using some options and also should determine the most advantageous time to take advantage of certain opportunities.
Next farm bill - risk management priority
The process may be neither pretty nor predictable but the 2012 farm bill is coming together and will include changes that farmers and ranchers are more likely to choke down than swallow willingly.
Agriculture's coming opportunity
Agriculture may see more volatility over the next decade than it has in the past 30. That means more opportunity, says David M. Kohl, professor emeritus, agriculture and applied economics at Virginia Tech.
Lucas vows not to support bad ag policy
Congressman Frank Lucas, chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture, would rather forego passing a hurry-up farm bill that jeopardizes the well-being of rural America and take his chances fighting for a better program next summer
