CLARKSDALE, Miss. (AP) — The owner of two Mississippi cottonseed processing facilities says one may close because of reduced cotton acreage.
Scott Middleton, president and general manager of Delta Oil Mill, tells The Clarksdale Press Register (http://bit.ly/1waGDnn ) no final decision has been made. The company has mills in Jonestown and Greenwood.
Middleton said there isn’t enough cottonseed available to justify running two plants.
Cotton seed oil is a common oil found in fast foods and in processed foods.
State farm experts say cotton yields have fallen dramatically in the past decade. Rice, soybeans, corn and peanuts have become more popular with local growers.
Records show 140,000 acres of cotton were planted in Coahoma County in 2006, while in recent years farmers have planted only 50,000 to 60,000 acres.
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Information from: The Clarksdale Press Register.
