According to U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) October Crop Production report, the 2012 U.S. cotton crop is estimated at 17.3 million bales, up marginally from last month’s forecast but 1.7 million bales (11 percent) above the 2011 production. With harvested area unchanged in October and the national average yield slightly higher, the U.S. cotton crop estimate increased 178,000 bales this month. The U.S. upland cotton crop is estimated at 16.6 million bales, above both last season and t

President Obama and Mr. Romney, during the 2012 US Presidential election campaign the world is listening, and the children, women and men exploited in modern-forms of slavery await your leadership. On this Anti-Slavery Day, the Cotton Campaign calls on you to speak out against the modern day slavery used to produce the clothes we wear. We acknowledge the efforts of the US government to combat modern forms of slavery, including the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and Global Trafficking in

Concerns about the lack of progress on a Spanish bailout dampened risk appetite, helping send equities and commodity markets lower and lending support to the dollar. <USD/> .N Oil prices initially turned negative in early U.S. trade following news that TransCanada Corp (TRP.TO) expected to restart the 590,000-barrel-per-day Keystone pipeline to the U.S. market over the weekend despite poor weather hampering efforts. The line was shut on Wednesday after an anomaly was detected, but an

Fantasy Angel – Alessandra Ambrosio wears this year’s Fantasy Bra from Victoria’s Secret. The piece is worth a whopping 2.5 million dollars and designed by the London Jewelers of New York who also designed the Bombshell Fantasy Fragrance bottle (pictured below). Alessandra will don the Floral Fantasy Bra at the upcoming VS runway show which takes place in November. Alessandra posing alongside the Fantasy Gift Collection from Victoria’s Secret Source: Fashion Gone Rogue

Pastel Resort – Gucci enlists top models Karmen Pedaru and Joan Smalls for its resort 2013 campaign pictured at a garden party setting. Mert & Marcus capture the duo in the Italian fashion house’s pastel separates with stylish handbags. Source: Fashion Gone Rogue

(With the expectation of rise in demand due to festive season, these companies, which have sound financials, offer good investment opportunities for investors.) Even as many textile companies in the lower end of the industry have hardly been lucrative investments for investors owing to their disproportionate dependence on raw materials, the companies at the higher end of the textiles industry continue to provide strong investment opportunities for investors. Interestingly, the valuation of

China's central bank fixed the onshore yuan rate 0.12 percent up at 6.3028 against the US dollar on Wednesday, a four-month high. The move helped push the onshore yuan spot to a 19-year high of 6.2532 and offshore yuan spot to an all-time record of 6.2540. The currency appreciated in the forward market both onshore and offshore. It's not the first time the yuan has hit records in recent months, as the US' new round of quantitative easing cheapened the greenback. The yuan touched a hi

Leading textile chain Chennai Silks, which has forayed into the jewellery business, is eyeing to more than double its turnover to Rs 10,000 crore by 2014-15. The Group's turnover covering all business stood at Rs 4,000 crore at the end of 2011-12 fiscal and is "eyeing a total turnover of Rs 10,000 crore by 2015 fiscal," K Manickam, Managing Director of Sree Kumaran Thangamaaligai, a sister concern of Chennai Silks, said after inaugurating the renovated and extended jewellery showroom here. H

Brazil and the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) have signed a new South-South cooperation agreement worth $20 million that aims to channel Brazilian expertise in cotton production to other developing countries including Ghana. The four year collaborative effort between FAO, the Brazilian Cotton Institute (IBA) and the external cooperation wing of Brazil's Foreign Relations Ministry ( MRE) will target participating countries with technical assistance and training in best