Cotton Newsline: April 1, 2021

USDA’s March Prospective Plantings Report indicates U.S. producers intend to plant 12.0 million cotton acres in 2021, down 0.5% from the previous year. Upland area is projected to be 11.9 million acres, up 0.03% from 2020 while extra-long staple (ELS) area is projected at 142,000 acres, a 29.9% decrease. The National Cotton Council’s planting intentions survey, released in early February, indicated U.S. producers intend to plant 11.3 million upland acres and 161,000 ELS acres. Dr. Jody Campiche, Vice President of Economics and Policy Analysis for the National Cotton Council, joins us with a closer look at the numbers.