By Associated Press

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas agriculture officials say cotton producers are expected to plant more acres of the fluffy fiber this year as prices are increasing.

The Bryan-College Station Eagle (http://bit.ly/1kUWJON ) reports that the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service officials expect cotton plantings to stretch across at least 6.5 million acres in the nation's leading production state. That's 700,000 more acres than were planted in 2013.

Statewide cotton specialist Gaylon Morgan says cotton farmers in some parts of Texas usually begin planting cotton the first week of April after corn and sorghum.

He said corn and sorghum plantings were delayed several weeks because of rain and cold weather but winter-like weather won't affect the cotton acres planted.

Cotton prices have steadily risen this year to nearly 94 cents per pound.