U.S. cotton growers plan to plant 9.6 million acres in 2025, a 14.5% decrease from the previous year, according to the National Cotton Council’s (NCC) annual planting intentions survey. The results were released at the 2025 NCC Annual Meeting.
The survey found that upland cotton acreage is expected to decline by 14.4% to 9.4 million acres, while extra-long staple (ELS) cotton acreage is projected to drop by 23.5% to 158,000 acres. Factors influencing these reductions include lower cotton prices compared to other crops and changing market conditions.
Regional declines vary. The Southeast is expected to see a 19.3% reduction, with Georgia growers cutting acreage by 21.5%, the lowest since 1993. The Mid-South anticipates an 8.2% drop, while Southwest growers plan to plant 14.5% less cotton, with Texas acreage decreasing by 15.8%. In the West, upland cotton acreage is projected to fall by 12.3%, with a significant 40.8% decrease in California. The NCC noted that these estimates are based on early-season conditions, and final acreage decisions may shift due to weather, commodity prices, and input costs.
Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet News Hour. She was recently named the 2024 Farm Broadcaster of the Year by the National Association of Farm Broadcasting and serves as a Council Member on the World Agriculture Forum. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley and now divides her time between California and North Dakota.