If you’re in need of a cotton supplier company for your textile mill, there are several things you’ll need to consider. The price of the cotton is only part of the equation. If you aren’t used to dealing in cotton, you’ll want to do research and ask the cotton supplier the following questions.
Where is the cotton grown?
The source of the cotton has something to do with its quality and moisture content. Texas produces the largest amount of cotton in the United States. Internationally, China produces the largest amount of cotton. India produces the second-highest amount of cotton annually, and the United States is third in international cotton production.
When is cotton harvest time?
In the United States, July is the start of the cotton harvest. It goes on for several months and in northern climates it extends all the way to late autumn, occasionally into mid December. In China, cotton harvest ends around the same time or a little earlier, around the end of October or the first of November. In India, the cotton isn’t planted until the end of May, at the earliest, all the way up to the end of July. India cotton is harvested from the first week in November through the end of February. Cotton is also produced in Turkey, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Australia, Greece, Brazil, Syria, Argentina, and Egypt, although they do not do as much cotton exports as in China, India, and the United States.
Should I buy transgenic cotton?
Transgenic cotton is a type of genetically altered cotton that is generally more resistant to disease, insects, worms, herbicides, and draught. It has genetic material from another variety of cotton added to it to make it easier to grow. Nearly 95 percent of all cotton grown in the United States is transgenic cotton, so if you’re wanting a natural, non-genetically altered variety it will be difficult to source from most cotton supply companies and more expensive.
Where can I get raw cotton?
If you’re looking for raw cotton you can often get a local cotton producer or a cotton gin that can sell natural raw cotton.
What kinds of insects attack cotton?
Boll weevils are the major enemy insects with cotton growing. They have plagued cotton growers since 1892, when the small 6-millimeter long beetles migrated across the boarder from Mexico into the United States. It is due to the prevalence of boll weevils that genetically altered varieties of cotton (also known as transgenic cotton) were created.