The USDA’s Planted Acres report, released on June 30, projected 11.7 million acres of upland and Pima cotton for 2021, a 3% decrease from the final amount for 2020.
According to the research, upland area is expected to be 11.6 million acres, a 3% decrease from 2020, and American Pima area is estimated to be 142,000 acres, a 30% decrease from 2020.
“In 9 of the 17 main cotton-producing states, upland planted area decreased from the previous year. The biggest reduction occurs in Arkansas, where upland planted area fell by 115,000 acres from the previous year. Texas’ acreage has likewise decreased by 100,000 acres. There was an increase in seven states compared to previous year, with Missouri having the biggest rise at 95,000 acres.
Drought in New Mexico and Texas has influenced cotton planting choices for 2021. In Texas, the transition from very dry to rainy weather, along with strong winds and hail, has made it difficult for farmers to sow their crops. Total cotton acres in the Southeast for 2021 were reported as 2,350,000 acres throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia – down slightly from 2,368,00 acres in 2020.
In the Mid-South, total 2021 reported acres in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee were 1,720,000, down from 1,800,000 acres in 2020. In the Southwest, reported acres totalled 7,310,000 across Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas – a decrease from 7,520,000 in 2020. The study also stated that cotton growers planted 97 percent of their acreage using biotech types this year, a 1% increase from 2020.
