Cotton Acreage to Expand Amid Soaring Prices

Cotton farmers are expected to increase acreage by about 7% this year as they try to take advantage of prices that are the highest in years. According to the National Cotton Council’s (NCC) annual survey of planting intentions, farmers are expected to plant about 12 million acres this spring, up from 11.2 million acres in 2021. 
 
Southern farmers have a number of good options this year — prices for soybeans, peanuts and corn also are strong. NCC Economist, Jody Campiche, says farmers in the Southeast and Mid-South will shift a bit from corn to cotton, while growers in the Southwest will plant more cotton and less wheat or sorghum. 
 
Cotton prices have been running $1.25 per pound in recent days, about double the average price in 2019 and 2020 and well above last year’s average of just over 90 cents per pound. 
 
“It's good to have options,” Alabama producer Mike Tate said of the strong commodity prices farmers are seeing. He noted that fertilizer prices and other production costs are much higher as well. 
 
Cotton producers are heavily dependent on exports and the industry is facing the same supply chain disruptions as other sectors. A large portion of the U.S. crop is shipped via the heavily congested port of Long Beach. 

EDITOR’S TAKE:

It’s good to have choices and it appears farmers in the Mid-South, Southeast and Southwest have plenty this year. With strong commodity prices for several of their planting options, it provides a real opportunity to fine tune their rotations and maximize profitability. It appears cotton is becoming a crop of choice this year. Hopefully Mother Nature will cooperate and yields will be strong. Strong yields and great prices will give cotton farmers another great outcome in the end. Once again, we urge CAD members in the cotton producing regions to “Look Beyond Your Lot”. Start now, if you haven’t already done so, to contact the cotton farmers in your area….