When putting together the weekly CI Insight Newsletter that arrives in your email inboxes at the end of each week, we try and paint a representative picture of the global cotton community.
Typically, we search high and low for stories on the various aspects of cotton’s supply chain in India, China, Brazil, Pakistan, the African growing countries and other representatives of our industry around the world. Naturally, when a story from the U.S. comes across our desks, we’re hesitant to share it with our international audience, citing relevance to the global industry as a major deterrent.
But this week we’ve decided to run a very well written story that first appeared in the Memphis Commercial Appeal recently that chronicles the growing battle against Glyphosate resistant weeds in the U.S. You may not believe that one weed in the U.S. can have an affect on your business, but I would be willing to bet that it does.
As you’re likely aware, the editors of Cotton International also produce a U.S. specific magazine each month, Cotton Grower. In that capacity, we’ve gotten a first hand look at the problems Glyphosate resistance poses to the U.S. industry. We also understand how that one weed has factored into many of the nation’s largest cotton growers’ decisions to switch their acreage away from cotton and into competing crops such as soybeans, corn or rice.
The battle against this weed is having a very palpable affect on the amount of cotton the U.S. produces each year.
As we evolve Cotton247.com throughout the coming year, we’d like to hear what some of the more pressing issues are in your market. Just as we have a first hand knowledge of the battle against Glyphosate resistance in the U.S., we know that you have first hand experience with issues in your market that have large impacts while garnering little press.
In keeping with that line of thinking, we’d like to invite each of our online readers to become more active in Cotton247.com’s comment boxes. Henry and I will be looking to engage you more online, to make this website a truly interactive source of information.
While you may see us briefly in the coming months in South Africa, England, Germany and Switzerland, remember that you can always grab our attention here at Cotton247.com.