The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1953-03-12
Benson Urges Cotton
Farmers To Avoid
Over
Results Nay Mean
Marketing Controls
For Yeur 1854

W vS0u ~"
Reminding co.ton farmers
that TOO big crop this year
would result in production and
marketing controls for 1854, Is
well as a depressing effect on
prices, Secretary Of Agriculture
Ezra Taft Benson today issued o
statement regarding the cotton
situation. - .at tr
'erhe good cotton crops of the
past two years have supplied th
needs for domestic consumption
and exports" said The Secretary,
and they have also rebuilt reserve
supplies. Export demand has also
been falling off from the levels OF
recent years. 1t will therefore not
be necessary, or desirable, for
farmers to produce as big crop
this year. A production Of IL to
l2.5 millions bales now appears to
be desirable in 1883"
paintings reduced nationally
by about 10 percent from 1852
would, with average yields, pro-
duce crop OF ~ to 12.5 million
bales. Based ON present estimates
farmers should, on the average,
plant less than five acres this
year for each SIX planted last year
if they are to avoid a proclama-
ton of marketing quotas for the
1854 crop, under the provix1Dns
of the controlling legislation. Good
land use on some individual farms
may require even greater reduc-
tons than the average. Supplies
above the Quota level would
of course hxue an adverse effect
on prices"
Total disappearance of cotton
during the l953-54 marketing
season, both domestic and export,
may bet Is to 1875 million bales,
the Secretary explained. A carry
over of about Al million bales on
August l, 1853, is now Indicated.
With the suggested rate Of disap-
pearance, a 1858 crop of Ii mil
lion bales( which is the amount of
the goal previously announced)
would bring the supply situation
dangerously close to the quota
level provided in the controlling
legislation
On the other hand, a IL to 12.5
million bale crop in 1853 would
reduce the prospective carrytover
on August 1, 1884, and would still
provide adequate working stuck
even if the 1952-54 disappearance
should approach the 13.5-milkion-
bale level. With this reduced pro.
spective carry over, the cont1nu-
ted unrestricted rroduction of cot
ton. free of marketing controls for
another year. uaunld be virtually
assured. Cotton farmers would
have voluntarily adjusted to mzr
ket needs.
The interests OF cotton farmers
individually and collectively -
call for sensible adjustments in
1853 paintings. Too much cotton
would simply pile up stocks
which would not be needed, even
for carry-over reserve, and would
depress the market.
The acreage of cotton plant
ed in a State or county in 1853
will not affect the size of a State
or county acreage allotment in
1854 if the provisions of law re-
main as provided in present leg
islation," said Secretary Benson.
Also since the vast majority of
individual farm allotments, I'M
der present provisions Of law, are
controlled by the cropland on the
farm and uniform county per-
centage factor, the 1853 farm cot
ton acreage will not affect the
1854 farm allotment on most
farms"
The industry-wide cotton con-
ference which met February IL,
recommended that the Depart
ment call attention of farmers to
the need for a downward adjust
ment in 1858 production in order
to keep supplies in line with
probable need.
II am in complete accord with
that recommendation" the Sec
rotary concluded, land an calling
on farm organizations and the cot
ton industry to join with the De-
partment in getting these facts
to all cotton farmers Immediately.
In an effort to stimulate cotton
exports, committee was appoint
ed last Friday to make a thorough
study of the foreign cotton situa-
ton. This was in line with an
other recommendation which the
cotton group made last Thursday
The committee began work inn
mediately on specific recommen-
dationS for an export program"
We will work aggressively to