# Crop Progress: Cotton Progress and Concerns

Author: Jim Steadman
Published: 2022-06-27
Canonical URL: https://www.cottongrower.com/cotton-production/crop-progress-progress-and-concerns/

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The U.S. cotton crop continues to make progress as squaring and boll set move ahead. But there’s real concern about this year’s crop in multiple geographies.

According to [USDA’s Crop Progress report for the week ending June 27](https://downloads.usda.library.cornell.edu/usda-esmis/files/8336h188j/c821hr967/ms35vg657/prog2722.pdf), 33% of the crop is squaring. That’s up 11 percentage points in the past week and right on the 5-year average for this date. Seven states are now at or above their respective 5-year averages, with the biggest weekly gains reported in Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama, Arizona, Mississippi, Georgia, and South Carolina.

Boll set is now reported in 8% of the U.S. crop – up two percentage points and just one point ahead of the 5-year average. Biggest weekly gains came from Louisiana, Virginia, and Arizona.

Overall cotton condition continues to deteriorate, following a week of extreme heat across the Cotton Belt. This week, USDA rates 37% of the crop good/excellent (down three percentage points), 33% rated fair (down one point), and 30% rated poor/very poor (up 4 points). Among state numbers, 46% of the Texas crop is now rated poor/very poor, followed by Tennessee (20%), Mississippi (18%), North Carolina (15%), and South Carolina and Missouri (both 14%).