Jiangsu cotton growers have again had their hopes of a good cotton crop dashed by the arrival of fall storms. In the Xinghua cotton belt, heavy rain pounded the cotton fields as Typhoon Wipha moved through. Cotton still in the field was severely impacted, with a loss of bolls and quality; and a cold front that followed this rain has caused more anxiety over further loss of quality. Average seed cotton yields in the region are projected to decline 20 percent from last year to 2,700 - 3,525 kilograms per hectare. The storms also interfered with growers' efforts to control worm populations.

There are currently additional concerns about another major series of rainstorms forecast to hit Jiangsu over the next five days, with showers possible throughout the cotton belt from Saturday through Tuesday, September 22 - 25, which will adversely affect quality and yields. The rain has also impacted the crop in Shandong, with growers in the Dezhou area complaining about lower quality. The weather in the provinces of Henan and Shandong is now clear but unsettled, with a major rain system expected to impact Henan and northern Shandong on Monday and Tuesday.

In Anhui, excessive rain has already reduced color grade, and the forecast calls for more showers throughout the entire cotton belt from Saturday through Tuesday, once again impacting yields and quality.