The 35th Annual Early Season Planting Intentions Survey published by the National Cotton Council has discovered that U.S. cotton producers could plant up to 9.1 acres of cotton this coming spring, up 6.2 percent from 2015.
In the Mid-South, growers intend to plant 1.2 million acres, which is a 24.9 percent increase from last year. Growers in the Southwest are eying 5.3 million cotton acres, which indicates a 6.1 percent leap.
Elsewhere in the U.S., Far West cotton producers expect to plant 213,000 acres, totaling 24.4 percent more than what was recorded in 2015. The Southeast is the only region with an expected decrease (5.1 percent), reducing its total to 2.1 million acres.
"Planted acreage is just one of the factors that will determine supplies of cotton and cottonseed,” said Jody Campiche, the vice president of Economics & Policy Analysis at the NCC. “Ultimately, weather, insect pressures and agronomic conditions play a significant role in determining crop size."
Upland cotton intentions are 8.9 million acres, which is a 5.7 percent jump from 2015. Extra-long staple intentions of 208,000 acres make up a 31.2 percent increase.
“History has shown that U.S. farmers respond to relative prices when making planting decisions,” Campiche continued.
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