By JOSIE MUSICO
A-J MEDIA

Issues related to a global cotton surplus have not changed significantly in the past few years.

The bigger problem seems to be on the demand side, Joe Nicosia said.

Nicosia, executive vice president of the Louis Dreyfus Company, is concerned about difficulty competing with synthetic fabrics.

“Our demon today is polyester,” he told Plains Cotton Growers via teleconference.

An observation of female shoppers supports the economistΆs worries: all of them seem to be wearing yoga pants. WomenΆs fashion trends show that type of legwearΆs popularity quickly reaching that of cotton-based jeans, he said. In girlsΆ clothing, yoga pants and leggings are out-selling jeans at an even higher rate.

“This is the next consumer for the next 15 years, and we already lost them,” he said. “WeΆve got a big job ahead of us to reestablish cotton as the fabric of choice.”

Lamesa-area farmer Shawn Holladay asked if cotton could appear more in blended fabrics.

NicosiaΆs short answer: “Yes.”

If consumers arenΆt interested in 100-percent-cotton T-shirts, he suggested pursuing a smaller presence. Think of the 50 cotton/50 poly labels youΆve probably seen, for example.

“We need to get into these products, and then we could bring our blend level up,” he said.

Plains Cotton Growers has long encouraged supporters of area cotton to check clothing labels for that fabric when they shop.

As for cottonΆs supply, more than a few bales still remain in China. That country began raising eyebrows a few years ago for stockpiling millions of bales, creating a global surplus.

Lately, theyΆve released some.

Nicosia: “TheyΆve begun to change their policy — theyΆre selling their reserves.”

For the most part, sitting idle did not hurt quality of those bales, he added.

Between those reserves and its domestic supply, China has fallen behind Bangladesh and Vietnam in the U.S.Άs cotton export market. Still, Nicosia is optimistic about a recovery.

“ChinaΆs gonna need more imports eventually,” he said. “ItΆs gonna take a while, but weΆre gonna get there.”

In other business, Plains Cotton GrowersΆ Kody Bessent listed some political updates. The legislative affairs spokesman pointed out significantly more U.S. congressional districts are located in soybean or corn country than cotton, leaving cotton without the same representation.

“WeΆre just not in the same playing field,” he said.

Meanwhile, all eyes are on the election.

Bessent: “ThereΆs twists and turns. The point is to be engaged, to see whatΆs going on and, quite frankly, to vote.”