Market Values of Fiber Properties in Southeastern Textile Mills

Effects of fiber properties (length, length uniformity, strength, micronaire, white, yellow, and trash content) on U.S. mill prices of cotton were estimated. USDA data on fiber properties and mill prices on cottons from four production regions in the U.S. were used in the statistical analysis. All fiber properties were found to significantly affect mill prices; the fiber properties having the greatest influence were fiber strength, length, and micronaire, followed by length uniformity, yellowness, whiteness, and trash content. These properties explained 18% of the total variation in mill prices between 1977/78 and 1983/84.