By Jim Steadman

U.S. cotton producers intend to plant 11.5 million cotton acres in 2021, down 5.2% from 2020, according to the National Cotton Council’s 40th Annual Early Season Planting Intentions Survey.

Upland cotton intentions are 11.3 million acres, down 4.9% from 2020, while extra-long staple (ELS) intentions of 161,000 acres represent a 20.7% decline.

The NCC estimate compares to the 2021 Cotton Grower Acreage Survey projection of 11.61 million total cotton acres. Those survey results were released in January.

State-level details from NCC, along with the full economic outlook, will be released Thursday morning (Feb. 11) as part of the U.S. Cotton Economic Outlook presentation during the NCC Annual Meeting’s general session.