About The Jenkins County times. (Millen, Ga.) 2023-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2025)
j enkinscountytimes. com The Jenkins County Times Wednesday, January 1, 2025 - Page 11 A rural Georgia tradition: Deer hunting. A story of a girl and her Dad. Clark Retires From SJVFD Chief Kenneth Clark officially retired from the South Jenkins Volunteer Fire Department at the department’s Christmas party on Dec. 20. Clark has been the fire chief since 2011. Photo contributed. Happy CAFE Oi\ imm 535 Cotton Ave (478) 982-3432 Millen, GA 30442 BIBLE REBINDING! NO MATTER WHAT SHAPE IT’S IN... WE CAN REPAIR IT! The Shepherd's Nook Rebinaing Services >rth Main Street Q1? C9Q7 inia. Ga. 30467 JHiHJliOa*! Happvjrails! ctH, Hey everyone! This week, I would like to share with you a story from a girl and her fist hunting adventure with her Dad. It is a very heartfelt story, and will give you a great feeling for a new year. Let's read with Caroline and her story. It was 5:08 am on the first Saturday of November 2007, in Valdosta, Georgia. If you step into the Flash Foods on St. Augustine Road, you see a six-year-old blonde swallowed in her dad's Realtree Camo jacket admiring the case display of warm Krispy Kreme donuts. You watch her choose the one with pink sprinkles and you observe her dad pouring his green thermos full of strong black coffee. Then you watch him pay at the counter with exact change, lead her out, and get both the store and truck door for her. Thirteen years ago, that was my dad and I. A tradition for us was stopping at that same store every early morning on our way out to the woods to chase an animal that amazed me then, and continues to more and more every year to this day, which is the whitetail deer. Thankfully, I can remember back to those days when dad struck the initial match that sparked my excitement for hunting whitetails in God's creation and the entire experience that comes with it. For years we spent mornings just as I described. Dad often reminds me that with each morning, I woke up earlier and earlier naturally, eventually to the point that I was waking him up instead of him waking me. It was something about a Flash Foods donut and a thirty- minute truck ride to sit beside my dad in a deer stand for the morning and watch the first ray of sun through Georgia pine trees. Inside of me, there was excitement just at the thought of laying eyes on a deer. Our favorite saying on the truck ride out to the woods was “I’ve got a good feeling about this morning.” Those good feelings led to many middays that some would consider to be a strikeout hunt. For dad and I, it was always the memory that meant the most. I sat beside him many mornings and afternoons in rural south Georgia being taught about everything from deer nutrition and acorn species to forest management, bedding area, and how to play the wind on a hunt. Thinking back, it was quite an undertaking for my dad to take seven-year-old me hunting with him. But, as the years passed, we miraculously we saw more deer, I spooked less deer, and years later, I was able to harvest my very first rifle whitetail alongside my dad. I will never forget the feeling of providing food for my family for the first time. Looking back, I think that it took my first harvest for me to realize that the kill was special but that everything and everyone involved meant more. Before long, my goal became to successfully chase and harvest a whitetail on my own without my dad. It took years to achieve that goal, but it finally became a reality. When it did, I further realized the same thing as before - what would it mean if not for the people involved and the journey experienced in God's country in rural south Georgia? As I got older my goal became to hunt mature whitetail bucks which bumped the challenge up a notch. It was then that I got my first taste of the brilliance of a mature whitetail buck. I went years without a harvest, and it began to mean so much to even have an encounter with a mature buck. Eventually, I checked that goal off of the list as well. Last season I picked a target buck which was a five-and-a-half-year-old, eight-point named “Pitchfork.” We had an extraordinary season hunting him, and I was fortunate to harvest him alongside my dad in early December 2019. This season, I picked up a Mathews Avail bow and arrow and set the goal to harvest my first deer with it. That goal is checked, and now, I am hunting a four-and- a-half-year- old eight- point that I named “Dutton.” There will be new challenges to come and new goals to reach with every year that comes, and I love hunting for that. I love hunting for the quiet time and the beauty of nature, for the challenge that each deer brings, and for the memories with my dad, brother, and friends that mean everything to me. Hunting is for women and girls to pursue and I am proud to do that. My name is Caroline Langdale, I am now 22 years old, and I am my best self when I am in the whitetail woods. Wow! What a story Caroline! LOOKING FOR A NEW PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER? Dr. Prakul Chandra and Jodi Gilmer, PA-C are accepting new patients! (Qp optim primary care CALL TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TODAY 478.982.0120 OPTIM PRIMARY CARE-MILLEN | 961 East Winthrope Avenue • Millen, GA, 30442 ■ft ■ mt, uu zolt urn qn ip kil mu twi hzi Cotton: World Cotton Supply and Demand 2025 COTTON OUTLOOK AND MARKET SITUATION Yangxuan Liu. /Special Contributor/Associate Professor. Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics. University of Georgia Cotton farming is a complex business, and growers have faced significant financial challenges over the years. In particular, 2024 proved to be a difficult year for cotton producers, marked by high input costs and low cotton prices, which left many straggling with negative profit margins. In 2024, low cotton prices were influenced by sluggish economic growth and typical fluctuations in supply and demand. Slower global economic expansion reduced cotton demand, leading to lower prices worldwide. Additionally, U.S. cotton faced heightened competition from Brazilian cotton production, which offers comparable quality at a lower cost, further pressuring U.S. cotton prices. Economic Slowdown and Reduction in Cotton Demand Globally The October 2024 International Monetary Fund (IMF) World Economic Outlook report highlights stable yet underwhelming global growth, with risks skewed to the downside. Global economic growth is projected to decelerate to 3.2% in 2025. Global cotton demand has remained relatively low for several years following the last post-pandemic boom in 2020 (Figure 2). The anticipated slowdown in economic activity in 2025 is likely to continue dampening consumer demand for discretionary items such as textiles and apparel, putting additional downward pressure on cotton prices. Global cotton production in 2024 is projected at 117.4 million bales, exceeding world cotton mill use, estimated at 115.8 million bales. This reduced demand has contributed to an increase in global ending stocks, now projected at 76.0 million bales, further adding to the cotton supply. Cotton Supply and Demand In 2024, U.S. farmers planted 11.0 million acres of upland cotton and are expected to harvest 8.4 million acres, producing a total of 13.7 million bales. The national average yield is projected at 782 pounds per acre, significantly below the five-year average of 863 pounds per acre. The U.S. cotton demand for 2024 is estimated at 13.1 million bales, marking the second-lowest level in the past decade. U.S. ending stocks are projected to increase from 3.2 million bales in 2023 to 4.4 million bales in 2024, accompanied by a rise in the stock-to-use ratio to 33.6%. This marks the second-highest stock-to-use ratio in the past decade since 2019, when the global pandemic significantly disrupted the market. These figures indicate an oversupply of cotton in the U.S., which has put downward pressure on cotton prices in 2024. Interest Rate and Increasing Global Competition After four years of maintaining historically high interest rates to combat inflation, the Federal Reserve began easing monetary policy in late 2024. The Fed is expected to continue cutting rates while maintaining its 2% inflation target, though it may take time for rates to reach lower levels. Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) policymakers project that the Federal Funds Effective Rate will likely end between 3% and 4% in 2025. U.S. cotton is facing heightened global competition, particularly from Brazil. Over the past decade, Brazil has significantly increased its cotton production, offering relatively high-quality cotton at lower costs compared to the U.S. In 2023, Brazil surpassed the United States to become the world’s third-largest cotton producer, following China and India, and its production levels continued to rise in 2024 (Figure 2). This intensified competition in the global market poses ongoing challenges for U.S. cotton prices and profitability, making it increasingly difficult for American cotton farmers to maintain a competitive edge. The rising trade uncertainty will place a significant high-risk factor on the already sluggish cotton market in 2025. Cotton markets are highly sensitive to trade policies due to their reliance on export demand, with the U.S. being one of the largest exporters globally. Shifts in trade agreements, tariffs, or international relations can introduce volatility and reduce market confidence, further suppressing prices. 2025 Price Outlook Summary 2025 could continue to be a challenging year for cotton producers. Interest rates are expected to remain high for an extended period. Consumer spending on discretionary items is anticipated to tighten due to slow economic growth. Input costs will likely remain high, and cotton prices are expected to stay low. U.S. cotton acreage and production are projected to remain at current low levels in 2025, driven by relatively low price expectations and competition from other crops, such as peanuts and com. As of December 12, 2024, December futures prices (CTZ25) for the 2025 cotton crop are around 71.17 cents per pound. The optimistic price range for cotton in 2025 is expected to be between 74 and 79 cents per pound, while the pessimistic price range for 2024 is projected to be between 66 and 69 cents per pound. For planning and budgeting purposes, a price range of 69 to 73 cents per pound is suggested for cotton in 2025.
