LUBBOCK, Texas — Out in West Texas, cotton is everywhere. Farmer Steven Brosch has been a farmer most of his life, but ventured out on his own in 2003. He is now having to deal with something he could have never anticipated before the start of the new year: the spread of the novel coronavirus.
“We’re starting to see the effects of it by the markets. They’ve been really dropping here the last few weeks,” Brosch said.
He said he hasn’t been directly affected, so right now, it’s business as usual.
Darren Hudson, Larry Combest Endowed Chair for Agricultural Competitiveness said the drop in prices could leave farmers with a difficult decision.
“[Such as] what to plant based on current prices, and none of those prices are great,” Hudson said.
Cotton is a semi-durable good, which could mean people may delay their purchases and in turn affect the supply chain, Hudson explained.
“There could potentially be some backlogs in the supply chain system for textiles and apparel,” Hudson said.
China is also a major consumer and producer of textiles, but with their recent shut-down, the supply chain could also be affected. However, long-term affects are still a game of ‘if.’
“We don’t really know how this virus is going to progress. How long any potential shut downs are likely to be and how long labor disruptions and things like that are likely to stretch out,” Hudson said.
Bosch said prices may never recover, which means having to cut back.
“Doing what we can to crops growing, but there won’t be any extra expenses,” Bosch said.
Bosch said at this point, he can only retain hope for rain and a large yield later in the season.
“Sitting tight, holding and doing the best we can,” Bosch said.