By Jim Steadman

As USDA was releasing its Aug. 30 Crop Progress report, Hurricane/Tropical Storm Ida was still making its way through Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama with too much cotton acreage in its path. The weekly report certainly doesn’t take the storm into consideration but paints a picture of a cotton crop that could (we hope) be special.

As of Aug. 29, boll set was reported in 86% of the U.S. cotton crop – up 7 percentage points in the past week but still 8 percentage points behind the 5-year average for the week. Seven of the 15 cotton producing states, however, are currently at or ahead of their respective 5-year averages.

Open bolls were noted in 21% of the U.S. crop – also up 7 percentage points in the past week yet 5 percentage points behind the average for the week. Four states – Arizona, California, Kansas, and Mississippi – are running well ahead of their respective averages for late August.

Crop condition remains strong, with 70% of the U.S. cotton crop rated good/excellent, 24% rated fair, and only 6% rated poor/very poor.