Cotton System Consumption and Stocks ISSN: 2378-2471 Released February 1, 2017, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Highlights November 2016 contained 30 days. December 2016 contained 31 days. Extra long staple cotton consumed on the cotton system was 1.34 million pounds in December 2016, up 31 percent from November 2016 and up 47 percent from December 2015. December 2016 stocks on hand on the last Saturday of the month totaled 1.16 million pounds down slightly from November 2016 and down 26 percent from December 2015. Total Manmade fiber consumed on the cotton system was 25.1 million pounds during December 2016, down 9 percent from November 2016 and down 8 percent from December 2015. Of the total manmade fiber consumed, 91 percent was polyester staple. Total number of spindles on the cotton system was 1.27 million during December 2016. Active spindles consuming 100 percent cotton was 751 thousand in December 2016, up 2 percent from November 2016 and up 23 percent from December 2015. Consumption and Stocks - United States: December 2016 with Comparisons ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Item : December 2015 : November 2016 : December 2016 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Extra long staple : Consumed : Running bales ....................................number: 1,838 2,034 2,794 Weight .....................................1,000 pounds: 914 1,026 1,340 Stocks on hand (last Saturday of the month) : Running bales ....................................number: 3,131 2,274 2,271 Weight .....................................1,000 pounds: 1,563 1,164 1,160 : Rayon and acetate staple : Consumed .....................................1,000 pounds: 777 1,417 798 Stocks on hand (last Saturday of the month) ..1,000 pounds: 1,401 1,404 2,325 : Polyester staple : Consumed .....................................1,000 pounds: 24,567 24,764 22,935 Stocks on hand (last Saturday of the month) ..1,000 pounds: 23,751 26,387 24,097 : Other manmade fiber staple : Consumed .....................................1,000 pounds: 1,891 1,417 1,373 Stocks on hand (last Saturday of the month) ..1,000 pounds: 2,861 1,684 2,140 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Spindles in Place, Active Spindles and Spindle Hours Operated - United States: December 2016 with Comparisons ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Item : December 2015 : November 2016 : December 2016 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cotton-system spindles in place : Ring spindles .......................................1,000: 741 867 892 Airjet spindles .....................................1,000: 30 32 32 Open-end spindles ...................................1,000: 365 344 344 : Cotton-system spindles active : Spindles consuming 100% cotton ......................1,000: 609 735 751 million hours: 326 468 390 Spindles consuming 100% manmade fiber ...............1,000: 31 30 30 million hours: 13 13 11 Spindles consuming mixtures or blends ...............1,000: 445 454 458 million hours: 257 246 234 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Statistical Methodology Survey Procedures: Cotton System Consumption and Stocks is part of the Current Agricultural Industrial Reports (CAIR) program. CAIR reports are administered under NASS's Census of Agriculture program. Response to CAIR surveys are required by law (Title 7, U.S. Code). Data are collected from all known mills that consume cotton. The census universe was determined during operation profile interviews which were completed for each potential facility to identify the presence of cotton consumption and spindle activity in 2014. In the Cotton and Manmade Fiber Staple survey questionnaires, mills are asked for previous calendar month data on cotton and manmade fiber consumed, stocks and spindle activity. Mills are mailed questionnaires with the options of completing the survey by mail or by Electronic Data Reporting (EDR). For surveys not received in a reasonable amount of time, telephone follow-up is conducted. Estimating Procedures: Imputation is done for operations with non-response by using historical data and current data relationships. Data for reporting firms are added to estimates for non-reporting firms to obtain National totals. Revision Policy: Data are revised the following month based on late reports or corrected data. Final figures are published in the annual summary of the following year. Reliability: Approximately 50 reports are received each month which represent about 95 percent of total spindles. Monthly data can vary due to different firms reporting month to month. Survey data are also subject to non-sampling errors such as omissions and mistakes in reporting and in processing the data. While these errors cannot be measured directly, they are minimized by carefully reviewing all reported data for consistency and reasonableness. Information Contacts Listed below are the commodity statisticians in the Environmental, Economics, and Demographics Branch of the National Agricultural Statistics Service to contact for additional information. E-mail inquiries may be sent to nass@nass.usda.gov. Jody McDaniel, Chief, Environmental, Economics, and Demographics Branch.. (202) 720-6146 Scott Shimmin, Head, Environmental and Demographics Section.............. (202) 720-0684 Stephanie Brennan - Field Crops Chemical Use ......................... (202) 690-0392 Natasha Bruton - Current Agricultural Industrial Reports.............. (202) 720-7644 Courtney Charles- Current Agricultural Industrial Reports............. (202) 690-3226 Ryan Cowen - Farms, Land in Farms, Census of Agriculture.............. (202) 690-3233 Doug Farmer - Vegetable Chemical Use.................................. (202) 720-7492 Virginia Harris - Census of Agriculture............................... (502) 582-5293 Megan Lipke - Census of Agriculture................................... (202) 720-5881 Dominique Sims - Census of Agriculture................................ (202) 690-4752 Theresa Varner - Farm Labor, Chemical Use............................. 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