By Jim Steadman 

USDA has released its Prospective Plantings report for the 2021 crop year, showing that all cotton planted area for the year is estimated at 12.0 million acres – down less than 1% from 2020.

Upland cotton area is expected to total 11.9 million acres, up slightly from 2020 planted acres. American Pima area is estimated at only 142,000 acres – down 30% from last year.

In all, estimated cotton acres held steady or increased slightly in eight states – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas – with the largest projected increase (+32%) expected in Missouri. The other nine cotton producing states will plant fewer acres in 2021, ranging from decreases of 3% in Kansas and Oklahoma up to 29% reduction in Louisiana.

Regionally, USDA estimates total Southeast cotton area at 2.43 million acres and 1.79 million acres across the Mid-South states. Southwest area is expected at 7.52 million acres, with 296,000 total acres projected for Western states.

The acreage total matches USDA’s early projection announced in February during the agency’s Agricultural Outlook Forum. The acreage number is about 4% higher than the National Cotton Council’s mid-February projection of 11.5 million acres and 3.3% higher than the Cotton Grower Annual Acreage Survey of 11.6 million acres, released in early January.

Among other crops, the USDA report showed a less than 1% increase in planted acreage for corn, with both soybean and wheat acreages projected to climb 5% and sorghum acres to increase by 18%. Peanut acres are expected to be down 2%, while rice acres show an 11% decline.

Acreage estimates in the report are based primarily on surveys conducted during the first two weeks of March. The survey included a sample of approximately 78,900 farm operators selected from a list of producers that ensures all operations in the United States have a chance to be selected. Acreage intentions data for the survey was collected by mail, internet, telephone or personal interview.