Cotton Planters Are Finally Rolling, Reports USDA

Twenty-three percent of the 2013 cotton crop is now in the ground, according to the USDA Crop Planting Progress Report for the week ending May 12.

All of the 15 major cotton-producing states now show planting activity, with California (95 percent) and Arizona (90 percent) nearing completion. Double-digit percentage increases were reported for Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina and Virginia, while growers in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Texas took advantage of favorable conditions to make substantial progress as well.

In spite of solid progress during the past week, plantings for the 2013 crop are still running approximately 15 percent behind the four-year average for this date and more than 20 percent behind the same time last year. Growers should be able to keep the momentum going, with warmer temperatures and drier skies in the forecast for most of the Cotton Belt in the coming week.