U.S. Cotton Growers Expecting to Plant Fewer Acres

NEW ORLEANS, LA – The first crop estimate for 2020 U.S. cotton production includes a 5.5 percent reduction in acres from last year. According to the National Cotton Council’s (NCC) 39th Annual Early Season Planting Intentions Survey. At the Council’s Annual Meeting over the weekend, NCC economist Dr. Jody Campiche explained that respondents to the survey intended to plant 12.8 million acres of Upland cotton, a 5.6 percent reduction. If abandonment follows historical trends (13.8 percent), then Campiche said the U.S. cotton industry could be looking at a 19.1 million bale upland crop this season. Other key trends from the survey include a 9.3 percent acreage reduction in the Southeast, including an 11.9 percent reduction in Georgia. Mid-South growers may reduce plantings by 6.5 percent, with Mississippi planting almost 9 percent fewer acres. Texas is expected to plant fewer acres in 2020 as the crop in the Southwest drops by 3.4 percent. And with a 20.5 percent reduction in acres in the Far West, only New Mexico is expecting to plant more this season. Campiche concluded by saying “at current prices, many producers could continue to face difficult economic conditions in 2020. Production costs remain high, and unless producers have good yields, current prices may not be enough to cover all production expenses.”