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USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) have released their October crop reports, and Becky Sommer with NASS in Washington D.C. says the U.S. cotton production estimate is down fourteen percent from last year’s crop.
All cotton production is forecast at 17.0 million 480-pound bales, down less than 1 percent from the previous forecast, and down 14 percent from 2019. All cotton planted totaled 12.1 million acres, unchanged from the previous estimate but down 12 percent from the previous year. All cotton harvested is forecast at 9.01 million acres, down 22 percent from 2019.
As of October 4, forty percent of the US cotton acreage was rated in good to excellent condition, compared with 39 percent at the same time last year. As of October 4, eighty?three percent of the cotton acreage had open bolls, 2 percent ahead of last year and 8 percent ahead of the 5?year average. Seventeen percent of the cotton acreage had been harvested by October 4, five percent behind last year and 3 percent behind the 5-year average.
Cotton production in Georgia is forecast at 2.4 million bales, down 12 percent from last year. In Alabama, production is forecast at 890,000 bales, down 13 percent from 2019. Florida production is expected to total 170,000 bales, 17 percent below last year.
In summary, all cotton production is forecast at 17.0 million 480-pound bales, down 14 percent from 2019.
This is Becky Sommer with the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.