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
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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!
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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.
