USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released their August crop reports Thursday, and Becky Sommer with NASS in Washington D.C. says the U.S. cotton production estimate is up 18 percent from last year’s crop.
All cotton production is forecast at 17.3 million 480-pound bales, up 18 percent from 2020. All cotton planted area totaled 11.7 million acres, unchanged from the previous estimate but down 3 percent from last year. All cotton area harvested is forecast at 10.4 million acres, up 25 percent from 2020.
As of August 1, sixty percent of the cotton acreage was rated in good to excellent condition, compared with 45 percent at the same time last year. Eighty?two percent of the cotton acreage was squaring, 8 percent behind last year and the 5?year average. At that time, 50 percent of the cotton acreage was setting bolls, 2 percent behind last year and 3 percent behind the 5?year average.
Cotton production in Georgia is forecast at 2.30 million bales, up 6 percent from last year. In Alabama, production is forecast at 780,000 bales, up 6 percent from 2020. Florida production is expected to total 140,000 bales, 36 percent above last year.
In summary, all cotton production is forecast at 17.3 million 480-pound bales, up 18 percent from 2020.
This is Becky Sommer with the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.