All cotton production is forecast at 21.4 million, 480 pound bales, up 1 percent from last month and up 25 percent from last year. Yield is expected to average 900 pounds per harvested acre, up 33 pounds from last year.
As of October 29, 55 percent of the cotton acreage was rated in good to excellent condition, compared with 49 percent at the same time last year. Ninety-three percent of the crop had open bolls by October 29, two percentage points behind both last year and the 5-year average.
Harvest progress reached 46 percent complete by October 29, slightly ahead of both last year and the 5-year average. Harvest progress in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia was more than 17 percentage points ahead of both last year and the 5-year average.
Cotton production in Georgia is forecast at 2.4 million bales, unchanged from last month, but up 10 percent from last year. In Alabama, production is forecast at 860,000 bales, down 1 percent from October, but up 22 percent from last year. Florida production is expected to total 190,000 bales, unchanged from last month, but down 3 percent from 2016.
In summary, all cotton production in the United States is forecast at 21.4 million bales in 2017, up 1 percent from last month and up 25 percent from last year.
This is Anthony Prillaman with the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.