By Jim Steadman

USDA’s Planted Acres report issued on June 28 showed that U.S. cotton growers planted an estimated 11.7 million acres of upland and Pima cotton in 2024 – up 14% from 2023.

For 2024, upland area is estimated at 11.5 million acres, a 14% increase from last year. American Pima plantings are estimated at 182,000 acres, up 24% from 2022.

According to the report, compared with last year, upland planted area showed increases or no change in 13 of the major cotton-producing states, with only slight decreases were reported in Georgia, Kansas, New Mexico, and Virginia.

On a regional basis, total cotton acres in the Southeast for 2024 totaled 2.37 million acres across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia – up 5.3% from 2023. The largest acreage increase is reported in Alabama with 450,000 acres (up 18.4%). Acreage is also up 14.3% in South Carolina to 240,000 acres, 7.9% in North Carolina to 410,000 acres, and 1.1% in Florida to 90,000 acres. Georgia drops 0.9% to 1.10 million acres, while Virginia acreage falls 1.2% to 80,000 acres.

In the Mid-South, planted acres climbed to 2.01 million acres – up 23.3% – with the largest increases reported in Arkansas (670,000 acres, up 31.4%) and Mississippi (520,000 acres, up 30%). Missouri shows 400,000 acres (up 19.4%), Tennessee with 300,000 acres (up 13.2%), and Louisiana unchanged at 120,000 acres.

In the Southwest, estimated planted acres increased 14.6% to a reported 6.97 million acres. Texas cotton acreage is reported at 6.4 million acres (up 15.3%), and Oklahoma is up 9.5% to 460,000 acres. Kansas shows a slight acreage decline of 1.8%, down to 110,000 acres.

Upland cotton acres in the West are up 14.0% to 138,000 acres, led by Arizona with 100,000 acres (up 31.6%). California upland acres are reported at 18,000 for 2024, an increase of 38.5%. New Mexico upland acres are down 37.5% to a reported 20,000 acres.

For Pima acreage, California is showing 130,000 acres (up 52.9%), Texas at 30,000 acres (up 3.4%), New Mexico with 10,000 acres (down 41.5%), and Arizona at 12,000 acres (down 25%).

The report also noted that cotton producers planted 96% of their acreage this year with biotech varieties – down 1% from 2023.