Plains Cotton Growers (PCG) informed that cotton in the United States is considered some of the least contaminated in the world market. To maintain that reputation, growers and ginners are encouraged to employ techniques that avoid foreign material from getting into modules or being introduced during the ginning process.
Mark Lange, President and CEO of the National Cotton Council, said that U.S. spinners are reporting more contamination in recent crops than in the past. Some of the reported contaminants include black plastics resembling mulch commonly used in vegetable production, and materials associated with tie downs and covers, including plastic wrap. Although we don't yet see as many round modules on the High Plains as in other parts of the Cotton Belt, those who do handle them should be diligent in properly handling and removing the wrap.
The NCC offers the following tips for growers: inspect fields prior to harvest for foreign materials that could easily be picked up by harvesting equipment; remove foreign materials such as twine, ditch liners, field mulch, shopping bags and related plastics from their fields before harvest; and inspect harvest equipment daily for plastic contaminants.
"It is everyone's responsibility, throughout the cotton production chain, to ensure that the United States maintains our reputation of producing high-quality, contaminant-free cotton," PCG's Executive Vice President Steve Verett said. "We remain in a highly competitive environment and we can't afford to allow any kind of quality degradation that could affect our place in the market."
