# USDA Projects 13.8 Million Planted Cotton Acres

Author: Jim Steadman
Published: 2019-04-03
Canonical URL: https://www.cottongrower.com/market-analysis/production-outlook-acreage/usda-projects-13-8-million-planted-cotton-acres/

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USDA’s Prospective Plantings report for 2019 projects all U.S. cotton acres to total 13.8 million acres – down 2% from 2018 plantings.

According to the March 29 report, upland cotton area is estimated at 13.5 million acres – down 2% from last year – and Pima/ELS acres are estimated to climb 2% to 255,000 acres in 2019.

The USDA numbers are slightly higher than the [*Cotton Grower* Acreage Survey](https://www.cottongrower.com/cotton-production/production-outlook-acreage/survey-shows-a-healthy-appetite-for-cotton-in-2019/) number of 13.7 million acres, and significantly lower than the [National Cotton Council’s survey](https://www.cottongrower.com/cotton-production/production-outlook-acreage/ncc-survey-14-5-million-acres-of-cotton-in-2019/) projection of 14.5 million acres of upland and Pima/ELS cotton. The *Cotton Grower* survey was released in January, with the NCC numbers released in February.

Based on the USDA numbers, Southeast cotton acres are projected at 2.81 million – down 2.6% from 2018. Acreage decreases are expected for Florida (down 23%), Georgia (down 6%) and South Carolina (down 3%), with increases indicated for North Carolina (up 9%) and Virginia (up 2%). Alabama acres are projected to remain level for 2019.

In the five Mid-South states, projected plantings total 2.3 million acres – a 14% increase. Tennessee acreage is expected to be unchanged for 2019, but all other states are projected for increases: Arkansas up 20%, Louisiana up 33%, Mississippi up 10% and Missouri up 17%.

Cotton acres in the Southwest are projected to total 8.2 million acres – down 500,000 acres from 2018. Texas leads the market with 7.3 million acres, down 6% from last year. An 8% decrease is also projected for Oklahoma, while Kansas growers are expected to increase 2019 acres by 3%.

In the Western states, upland acres are projected to decline across the region, with California down 17%, Arizona down 3% and New Mexico down 9%.

Pima/ELS plantings are projected to climb 2.4%, with increases indicated for New Mexico (up 14%) and California (up 7%). Decreases are expected for Arizona (down 43%) and Texas (down 22%).

[The full report, with state-by-state projections, can be found online.](https://downloads.usda.library.cornell.edu/usda-esmis/files/x633f100h/1j92gg425/7m01bt33v/pspl0319.pdf)