With US domestic mill use heading lower, exports are vital to the US cotton industry. However overall Upland cotton quality has been declining in the US over the last decade. During the same period, the quality requirements of the world spinning industry have increased. Therefore improvements in fibre quality would help US cotton to remain competitive with cotton from other countries as well as chemical fibres worldwide. Nevertheless cotton producers are more influenced by government programs and cotton merchants than by the ultimate customers for their fibre. As a result, the price of cotton cannot be directly correlated with the quality of yarn produced. Spinners want to change and raise the standards, but the marketplace is not sending the right signals to growers, ginners and breeders. The valuation of cotton should be based on the true spinning value of fibres, changing the present cotton marketing system from its present grade and staple orientation to a system based on the fibre characteristics that the spinner in the export market desires.
展开▼
