More cotton information from Progressive Farmer . D uring a period when many growers have been down in the dumps about cotton, optimistic producers in the Coastal Bend of Texas have been expanding acres. And because they have a better quality product to sell, they are exploring ways to get more money for their fiber. Nearby at Chapman Ranch, David and Tommy Weaver have doubled their cotton acreage to 6,000 acres in the past two years. These were developed in Australia under soil, climate and cultural production conditions strikingly similar to those of the Coastal Bend.
Buyers prefer that cotton be picker-harvested rather than with stripper machines.
Smith says his family's farming corporation is planting mostly high-quality Fibermax varieties in 2001. This has opened many new market outlets for local growers. In mid-December, Smith reported that their entire 2001 cotton crop already was covered by contracts. He handles the marketing for the farming operation that includes his father, Thomas, his brother Tommy, his Uncle Allen and cousins Nolan and Mike. Prior to this season, Weaver Farms has consigned all of its cotton to a PCCA pool since the 1980s.