As a cotton producer myself, thank you for this story. You should more of these to enlighten people. I could write a book on the hardships farmers are facing and the entire ag industry as a whole. 2023 was also a record breaking dry year. We have had two extremely dry years in a row, and 2021 wasn’t a very good year either far many farmers. There hasn’t been enough coverage on the price of cotton seed which has gotten ridiculously high, as well as fertilizer, machinery, and other supplies such as tires, and all the parts it takes to keep us rolling. Cotton seed varieties have improved, but the high cost of the seed and technology fees keep offset any increases in price. Along with all of the other input costs. We’re selling cotton for roughly 70 cents per pound, on average, on a halfway decent year, and that still doesn’t come close to covering our expenses depending on weather, and how much money we have invested in that particular crop year. Labor costs are also at an all time high because we can’t compete with the oil field jobs and the construction jobs. The entire industry is suffering from labor shortages and everyone seems hell bent on not allowing people from Mexico to come over here and fill those jobs. American citizens do not want to work in ag jobs when they can make more money working literally anywhere else. Thank you , and please do more of these types of stories. People who don’t farm, have no clue what the industry faces, and how it all effects them, the consumer.
Here is the problem , certain crops are better grown in Arid regions. South Eastern Cottons are cheap. Cotton grown in Desert regions have longer strands and are worth more. So when growing cotton in these areas, it should be expected that some years, the whole crop will be destroyed by Drought. This goes for Certain fruits we eat by hand. Grapes and Oranges are sweeter because it's not diluted with water. OIly crops are similar, which is why buttery Hass is grown in California, while crappy giant avocados grow in Florida, as well as Olives and nuts.
Our entire economy relies on the climate staying the same. A lot of farmers will lose everything if they get less water, or more water, or hotter temperatures, or colder temperatures. No matter how much money the cotton industry brings in, Texas politicians surely care more about keeping oil and gas happy.
@@Alex-pj8nz Everywhere cotton is grown in the world is experiencing the same issues. America is the country with the best resources to combat climate change and literally half it's politicians in power refuse to admit it even exists to do anything about it. Plus the truck & SUV culture is out of control, so it seems the people have the exact same issues.
yes, especially the farmers in countries with high inflation are under more difficult conditions because the money is running out and the country's taxpayers make the job even more difficult Greetings from Turkey
@@nick4506 That's not even close to true for hemp. According to the Stockholm Environment Institute, the water required to get 1kg of usable hemp is about 2,123 liters compared to cotton's 9,788 liters.¹ That's over four times as much water. 1. Cherrett, N., Barrett, J., Clemett, A., Chadwick, M. and Chadwick, M. J. (2005). Ecological Footprint and Water Analysis of Cotton, Hemp and Polyester. Report prepared for and reviewed by BioRegional Development Group and World Wide Fund for Nature - Cymru. Stockholm Environment Institute
I’m surprised there’s any cotton grown in the US anymore. Personally I find cotton to be the only comfortable material for clothing and bedding. There’s gonna come a day not to far in the where we rely on desalination for water
Nah, only in the (mid)west. The east is actually getting more rain than historic averages.. farmers are just greedy. Why Texas farmers plant 40,000 acres of cotton in the middle of a desert is beyond stupid.
I live in AZ. In a farming community. They farm here?! They lied to everyone who brought homes farms were going away blah blah blah. That's why water is gone. And Americans receive none of the food. It's sent overseas. The chicken producers pollute every facet in the state and then have the nerve to be on every board. Just for the privilege of ruining the lives of residents. But no one cares. It'll be coming to your backyard soon. Today us, tomorrow you. And at the speed of greed and immorality today. Sooner than you think.
@@steven4315 true, but the one thing it gives you is a 99% guarantee of potable water, assuming nothing breaks at the plant. Some people prefer the higher guarantee over price. Look at AZ?
Hemp is the answer. It grows in harsher climates with less water, can create fabrics far greater in quality, durability and softness compared to cotton, and can use a lot less farmland to grow for the same amount of material.
@@salted_lizard yes, another winter option is acrylic fiber that got numerous fibril in it that is able to trap body warmed air inherently as acts an insulation to keep warm.
We’ve tried that, the infrastructure needed to do it is a whole other thing, and unless a Lot of farmers are willing to do it, it’s unprofitable. It’s been tried in my area and it flopped. The input costs to get established are not doable for most farmers.
Grow Hemp instead. It's a much better crop for making Fibers. Problem solved. The problem with cotton is that it feels cold when it gets wet and it takes a long time to dry.
@@stefanjohansson2373 The industrial hemp crop grows very fast, requiring only 90 to 120 days for harvesting. This means you can grow it up to three times per year. It tolerates drought and frost to a reasonable degree. Ideally you'd want 70 to 80 degree weather (Fahrenheit). Most of Texas and Oklahoma would be ideal for growing industrial hemp. Industrial hemp can be used for fuel, food and fiber. It contains very low amounts of CBD (cannabidiol). Please don't confuse industrial hemp with medicinal hemp. You can even use hemp to make concrete blocks. It's called Hempcrete. You can find more information on the Internet.
As a farmer (Mid-south, not TX) whose livelihood depends on consumers purchasing cotton, I am delighted to read so many comments here expressing a preference for cotton clothing and an aversion to that tacky, wretched abomination, polyester.
@@lifeonthefarm6001 On the other hand, it troubles me to read so many nasty, ignorant remarks: "Wish cotton would go extinct. Karma for using slaves. Lubbock cotton farmers are rich. Climate change deniers. Grow hemp instead."
growing one of the most water thirsty crops in the desert. nothing can go wrong. as long as you are the businessman that thinks only about himself and thinks only short term
You didn’t watch the part where they talked about cotton being a very drought tolerant plant did you ? Just because it’s tolerant doesn’t mean it doesn’t need any water.
They own every board, council, and politician. All these corporate and "family" farmers. Wanna know a secret: Natives are actually the worse at environmental and societal protection and preservation. Why do you think car companies and drug companies "give" them THEIR patents. But, no one cares.
Were you not listening? Cotton has "drought-tolerant qualities" @2:19. Also, the U.S. has been one of the world's top producers and the number one exporter of cotton @1:40. The reason being? The U.S. contains "the largest contiguous stretch of arable farmland on the planet". ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-BubAF7KSs64.html This hasn't been a problem until humans came about and caused global warming to speed up. Our planet is dying we need to act NOW. Sentiments like "maybe don't try to grow water intensive crops like cotton in the desert" just make people minimize our global crisis.
@@jdoglegacy99 or maybe stop practicing monoculture. Does not matter if you have "the largest contiguous stretch of arable farmland on the planet", when you cant retain water in the soil due to monoculture practices.
As I stated elsewhere, switch to Hemp. This video ignored that cotton needs intense fertilization, protection from insects and far MORE water than Hemp (which is stronger) needs.
I have sensitive skin therefore I always try to find 100% cotton cloth if possible. Cotton feel much more comfortable compare to synthetic fiber. Also cotton is more breathable. Besides, if you accidentally caught on fire, synthetic fiber will burn and spread the fire really fast and also stick to your skin, therefore you will have much higher chance to get burn.
Actually, polyester does not burn; it melts. I consider that characteristic to be evidence that it is of evil origin. It is a tacky, wretched abomination.
At Three yields P/A. & Bout half to third less water use per crop. Many more applications then cotten.. Much stronger product, Growing Hemp inplace of cotton will help conserve, land space, water, power. And use less chemicals... The whole plant can be used, Seed for oil, Leaf for material. Stalks/twigs for building product's. It's a WIN,WIN,WIN SITUATION.. More yields p/a, less running costs equals a Healthy business... Happy Workers.. = QUALITY PRODUCTS.
So ironic because I've always seek to buy 100% cotton products, I like the feel of cotton products and they seem to be more breathable and cooler to wear than the synthetic stuff which tends to make me sweat more or maybe because i'm an organic farmer as well i just tend to like more natural stuff lol I dunno.
Actually, cotton "breathes" far worse that synthetics. Classic Hawaiian shirts are made from Dacron for this reason. Cotton hangs onto sweat, whereas the synthetics pass it through as vapor.
Almost nothing grows without water or in soils that are too hot for the roots. Have these farmers seen the forecasts for the accelerating #ClimateCrisis?
It looks good on paper lol. Doesn’t work, or hasn’t yet. Too expensive to change over and there is no infrastructure for it. Maybe don’t bash Biden when he tries to upgrade the infrastructure in this country 😉 just a thought.
"When I get to California I'm going to get me some grape....and I'm going the squash them all over my face...." old grandpa never did get there.....he just live a life and lived out of it....and just think they never irrigated with that underground water....and now after 70 years of pumping....it going to go dry....
My mom used to pick cotton back in the 70's outside of Lubbock Texas. It's sad to see this because cotton is literally one of the main crops in that part of the state.
And yet the cotton industry in the biggest cotton producing region in the world, is lost on so many local residents. One of the biggest drivers of the economy here, and most people when you tell them you farm, say “ oh, what do you farm ?” Um…cotton. lol
Except hemp is incredibly labor intensive and there’s no market for it. Not to mention it’s no more water efficient than cotton. We tried it a few years ago and lost a pretty good bit of money on it. There’s just not a market
Others also a new technology that some people are using it they are called trees what they do is they plant trees in the trees actually pull moisture out of the air and then bring it into the soil to water themselves but once they get going then it can spread and then you plant other plants that also create water out of the air and it also helps cool the land and stops wind erosion and multi-species crops grown together just require less water... So look into it they're called trees.
Never. I will never wear polyester if I have to grow cotton, flax and wool myself. I can give up silk. That's really inconvenient. I'm already really upset that you can hardly find cotton thread anymore. Just having that tiny bit of polyester thread annoys me. And plastic buttons, too, but frankly glass is very impractical (they used to have that in the old days.) Mother of pearl is okay, but not that durable for heavy use either. When you think buttons are metal, they might be metal-colored plastic. Really crap. Still, I won't wear polyester or rayon either.
Try linen + hemp fabrics. There are options other than cotton. Europeans wore wool, linen and hemp garments for hundreds of years before Indian and Egyptian cotton became popular in the 19th century. Focus on wearing Wool, Linen, and Hemp. You can probably find cotton threads in specialty shops.
To my knowledge our local cotton crop in the Florida Panhandle had close to perfect weather this year. Most of our cotton crops are alternated with peanut crops.
Cotton value is determine by the length of the fibers. Desert Cotton is worth a lot more, because of its longer fiber, which means that the thread is stronger, and therefore the cloth last longer. SHorter fiber is added as filler. the alternative is to mix short fiber cotton, with synthetics.
@@insomnia9999 Cotton farming in the High Planes of Texas (the area referenced in the video) developed well after the emancipation proclamation. No slaves there. The black population there is less than 10%. Look it up. Mr. Evans makes no appeal for sympathy at all in the video. In fact, he states that his crop insurance is a life saver to him. So, your feeling nothing is misplaced.
I don’t understand the people wanting to wear the synthetic fibers. I hate the way they feel on the skin and when you sweat it’s so gross. The synthetic fibers do not absorb the sweat it keeps it on the skin causing rashes and just feeling icky. It’s like plastic. There is nothing better than cotton imho. It’s the softest and cotton feels great on the skin. Give me cotton any day over the plastic feeling synthetic fibers.
@@magaareinbredhillbillies The USDA, that the dept of agriculture is going to give over 180 billion dollars of its budget to food stamps and other child nutrition programs this year. 80% of the farm budget goes to these programs.
Cotton growers,scientists and professors and promotional experts must prevail upon the consumers of textile products to prefer cotton materials to man made materials.
Fun fact: Ardmore Oklahoma used to be known as the world's largest inland cotton port. And that is something to be proud of, even if the town is basically no longer cotton port since 1910. And I'm proud to live here, even though growth in the last 10 years is basically dead.
We produce cotton in Harlingen and Rio Hondo but they are selling all the land and building homes it’s sad. I always prefer cotton. It’s still King to me.
Urban development is unlike anything I have ever seen. In my area they are turning farmland into housing and commercial properties at a rate of thousands of acres a year. It’s insane.
Maybe people should be buying new clothes every few months when their old clothes is perfectly fine. Don't buy into fashion trend instead buy clothing that don't go out of style that's made with quality. Don't buy fast fashion brand that use bad quality material and it only last a few wash.
They know it is about the cotton is anything that's made in the United States that's made from cotton is extremely expensive. I buy most everything directly from China myself because even if it is cotton it's way less than you could pay here in the United States. I bought a pair of shoes in the United States was a $150. 100% of the boots I took them back to the store because I got them from China the same shoe same brand same everything For $40 so why would I pay 150 in the United States where I can get them from $40 in China?
A few big corporations own every seed that’s used to produce food and fiber. I know it’s a scary thought isn’t it. Just imagine what’s going to happen when they are the ones owning and farming the land. They’ll be able to afford the kind of lobbying that will let them name their price in the market, just like they have on the seed selling end of things.
I have a feeling that other than for extreme-weather clothing, Synthetic fibers will be banned/regulated soon. The reality is that fast fashion is a huge reason why microplastic pollution is everywhere.
How much cotton in already produced clothing is thrown away and end of in landfills that could be reused? Is there really a need to grow as much cotton?
Successful people don't become that way overnight. What most people see at a glance wealth, a great career, purpose is the result of hard work and hustle over time. I pray that anyone who reads this will be successful in life.
@@kathyrobert3172 I'm a newbie in Cypto and Btcoin and am holding some cyptocurrencies in my wallet but I'm scared of losing them due to the recent crash
I got an open invitation to anyone posting ignorant comments. I farm in west Texas and I’d love to have you here to personally show me how to do things better, more sustainably, and more efficiently.
*Hemp. Switch from Cotton to Hemp.* Hemp grows almost anywhere and with far less fertilizers, pesticides and water than what are necessary for Cotton (something THIS Story failed to point out). Hemp fibers are stronger than Cotton and Hemp also is a fully usable crop with essentially zero waste product.
Seems the real problem is We do not make the apparel in this country anymore . Harvest the cotton in the USA export it by SHIP to China, china makes the jeans and then exports the jeans by ship back to the USA to sell to Americans???? lets make the jeans here then we don't have all that waste in the middle!!!!!
If “you grow what you can depending on where you’re at,” then if cotton becomes unsustainable in the high plains of Texas, wouldn’t it make sense to change production to something that is sustainable there? On the other side, not plant the same mass produced seeds from the big seed producers and attempt to naturally grow a regional variety of cotton similar to how there are thousands of varieties of corn in Mexico suited to each of the local conditions they were produced in versus the big single type of sweet corn in the US?
and that is exactly what those seed producers do NOT want. and not only with cotton alone. There are all kinds of seeds around that are suitable for all kinds of climate. like rice. in Korea it is grown like grain o n-dry - land. in Vietnam in - water -. It is time that farmers stop complaining and whining around. and do something themselves about it. others also do it.and it works....
lol. Um, no. There is no seed that isn’t owned by a seed company, and the old conventional seed that isn’t the property of a seed company, is some old “ caught “ seed from a decade ago, sitting in someone’s barn with a30% germ on it 😂. No , farmers can’t just start up a new line of their own, it doesn’t work that way my friend. The big GMO seed companies locked all that seed down with copyright protection, patents, and licensing starting back in 1999. Letting them do that under our noses was the single biggest mistakes farmers made, because now the seed companies put their price on it and there is little to no competition, and what little competition there is, is only a minuscule amount cheaper as brands go.
Not the harvesting if you’re hiring it custom harvested. The cost of John Deere cotton stripper bakers is what is high. A million dollars to strip .08-.09 cent per pound cotton. It will be worn out before it ever makes its owner that million dollars back in its initial purchase price. Factor in the wrap for the bales , and everyday wear and tear, depreciation. It’s a luxury item to strip cotton. I know a farmer who farms 10,000 acres , is a good farmer, smart guy, and he told me there was no way he could make buying a stripper baler pay. The math just doesn’t work. John Deere has monopolized the cotton harvesting end of things. I still don’t understand they’re allowed to do it. There is no other machinery brand that currently makes cotton strippers , IH may still make a few pickers but they’re not getting anywhere near the market share that Deere is.
Parts of Texas are eating up disaster relief money and government programs. I’m sorry but if there is no water or ability to produce then it needs to be moved elsewhere. It is hurting the rest of the farming community. I know this sounds harsh and maybe I don’t understand completely and I know I’m biased because I come from where we have plenty of water. But this has to stop
Using up our groundwater aquifers and soil to grow non-food crops such as cotton and ethanol corn is stupid and shortsighted and will have very adverse effects on future generations.
Mybe that cotton machine made to use tree cotton and it even got ride of the seeds is a good idea now suddenly right. Yes use tree cotton we have hundreds of native cotton trees that use Magnitudes less water.
they are stuck between a rock and a hard place. its super difficult to grow anything else there. not only because of the water situation but the old pesticides used in cotton are still in the ground and ain't great for human consumption.
Найрозумніша річ, про яку кожен має думати зараз, - це інвестувати в різні джерела доходу, які не залежать від уряду. Особливо в умовах нинішньої економічної кризи в усьому світі. Це все ще гарний час для інвестування золота, срібла та цифрових валют (BTC, ETH.....)
