Cotton Crop Impact on Fabric
#1
with all the talk about cotton prices going up, my local quilt shop sent out this link
thought this was interesting, enjoy!
http://whipstitchfabrics.com/blog/wh...ina-this-year/
thought this was interesting, enjoy!
http://whipstitchfabrics.com/blog/wh...ina-this-year/
#5
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: USA
Posts: 110
The world cotton crop was horrible this year and the price of cotton is increasing. That I understand. However, I don't like the attitude of manufacturers and retailers that its just the price of the cotton. The realities are that increase in the price for cotton in a typical yard of LQS quality fabric is about 14 cents. Because the markup taken by each of the steps in the process generally is at a fixed percentage that takes the price up 50 cents or more per yard. If the yarn producer adds a a 50% markup to his costs that adds another 7 cents based on the cost of the cotton - now that same cotton in yarn costs 21 cents more. If the fabric manufacturer then adds a 50% markup then the same cotton in fabric costs about 32 cents more and if the retailer adds a 100% markup that means the same 14 cents worth of cotton now costs 64 cents - 50 cents more than was paid to the farmer. The actual cost of the fabric (without fixed markup) is actually cost 14 more cents. But the blame for that 64 cent (my example, not a real cost) increase per yard of fabric is placed on the cotton (that really did cost 14 cents more per yard of fabric). Well, it sort of is since the markups are not based on actual costs, but percentages, but at each step along the way people are still making higher profits (assuming they sell the same amount of fabric - which could drop of course).
#7
I don't know if cotton is like other commodities but I can tell you that if the price of products containing corn/wheat/soybeans goes up at the store, that doesn't mean the farmer is getting more for them. We are living proof.
#8
Originally Posted by gale
I don't know if cotton is like other commodities but I can tell you that if the price of products containing corn/wheat/soybeans goes up at the store, that doesn't mean the farmer is getting more for them. We are living proof.
For some crops, there were government subsidies paid NOT to grow them. Used to produce tons pf peanuts here, too. Last year, there was one local farmer produced a peanut crop, and some of the fields are just empty.
#10
:D Any of you ever have to hoe or chop cotton in a field? My ex-inlaws raised cotton on their farm and let me tell you, it is HARD work! I will pay the higher prices as often as I can and I won't complain 1 bit. Rather do that, than to have to work in the field in the heat of Summer. *shudder*
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post