Tracy Davidson

The oft-ignored U.S. cotton market has been steadily gaining ground, and today cotton prices are nearing heights not seen in the last 15 years.

Natural disasters in top cotton-producing countries, coupled with an increase in demand for the commodity and a record crop year, spell good news for American cotton farmers. On Friday, the price per bale for December delivery hit $85 — up from a $75 per bale price last month.

“The mills are screaming for cotton,” said Mike Stevens, a cotton analyst and trader based in Manderville, La. “No doubt about it, it’s a bull market for cotton. Prices have absolutely exploded.”