Even today, it is possible to produce a baking flour for human consumption from cottonseed meal.

NPR: Texas Cotton: 'Farmer Profits at Every Step'

Dr. Lance Forster, a scientist at the NCPA, predicts that fish farms may soon consume 10 percent of the production of U.S. cottonseed meal.

NPR: Texas Cotton: 'Farmer Profits at Every Step'

Like the cottonseed meal, the hulls show up in animal feed.

NPR: Texas Cotton: 'Farmer Profits at Every Step'

Ralston-Purina is another major customer for cottonseed meal.

NPR: Texas Cotton: 'Farmer Profits at Every Step'

And recently, researchers in aquaculture (fish farming) have discovered that cottonseed meal makes a high-quality fish food.18 Catfish, in particular, appear to love cottonseed meal, and will eat it even when offered fish meal instead.

NPR: Texas Cotton: 'Farmer Profits at Every Step'

The meal of the cottonseed constitutes almost half of the seed's weight.

NPR: Texas Cotton: 'Farmer Profits at Every Step'

Because fish stocks throughout the world are falling, driving up the prices of fish meal, and cotton production is rising, driving down the price of cottonseed, feeding cottonseed to catfish works for farmers of both cotton and catfish.

NPR: Texas Cotton: 'Farmer Profits at Every Step'