US producers to plant 13.63 mn acres of cotton in 2012
13 Feb '12
4 min read
All states in the West region show decreases in upland plantings, with the region as a whole down 10.4 percent. In Arizona, intended area of 222,000 acres represents an 11.3 percent decrease from the previous year. The expected decrease in acreage is coming in response to reduced price expectations and increased competition from wheat.
At the time of the survey, California farmers intend to plant 169,000 acres (-7.4 percent), with the decrease due to a shift into specialty crops. California's actual plantings could ultimately be dictated by water costs and availability. New Mexico is reporting intentions of 58,000 acres, down 15.0 percent.
With ELS prices down from year-ago levels and concerns about water availability in California, survey results indicate that U.S. cotton growers intend to decrease ELS plantings 6.4 percent to 287,000 acres in 2012. The results across the four ELS-producing states are mixed as New Mexico indicated an increase of 9.8 percent, bringing the states acreage up to 3,700 acres. The remaining states are expecting to reduce area relative to the previous year.
marketing@alchempro.com
