The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released its August crop reports Monday. Chris Singh with NASS in Washington, D.C., says the U.S. cotton production estimate is up 23 percent from last year’s crop.
All cotton production is forecast at 22.5 million 480-pound bales, up 23 percent from 2018. All cotton planted area totaled 13.9 million acres, up 1 percent from the previous estimate but down 1 percent from 2018. All cotton area harvested is forecast at 12.6 million acres, up 24 percent from 2018.
As of Aug. 4, 54 percent of the cotton acreage was rated in good to excellent condition compared with 40 percent at the same time last year. Fifty-nine percent of the acreage had set bolls by Aug. 4, 1 percentage point ahead of last year but 2 percentage points behind the five-year average.
Cotton production in Georgia is forecast at 2.7 million bales, up 38 percent from last year. In Alabama, production is forecast at 1.05 million bales, up 18 percent from 2018. Florida production is expected to total a record high 225,000 bales, 118 percent above last year — more than double.
In summary, all cotton production is forecast at 22.5 million 480-pound bales, up 23 percent from 2018.