LUBBOCK, TX – The National Cotton Council is set to release results of their annual Planting Intentions Survey on Thursday morning. The report, based upon farmers’ anticipated changes to cotton acres in the United States, coincides with the Council’s Annual Meeting, which is virtual for the first time ever. Last year, NCC projected 13 million acres of cotton to be planted domestically, while farmers actually planted 12.2 million acres. Over the past ten years, Council economists have accurately estimated the final size of the crop – within 10 percent – six times, including their 2014 guess that was within 160,000 acres of USDA’s final number (11.1 million acres). In 2019, the NCC estimates anticipated 5 percent more acres than were actually planted. In 2018, farmers planted 8 percent more while in 2017 the industry sowed a 14 percent larger crop than expected. U.S. cotton producers have planted between 8.6 (in 2015) and 15.8 million acres (in 2001) over the past 20 years. The most acres ever planted according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, came in 1925 when 46 million acres were grown to cotton while the fewest number of acres ever planted, was 7.9 million in 1983.
(SOURCE: All Ag News)