The US Cotton Planting Area Increase in 2011/2012 Season

Mr. Jimmy Webb, the vice president of Cotton Council International recent took an interview with TA Weekly. He said, the cotton planting area in Texas, the top cotton producer in the US, rose 14% this year, while No. 2 producer Georgia rose 9%. Other major cotton producers also increased their cotton planting area in different level. When asked why the planting increased, Jimmy said the American farmer decided the planting depending on the market price. Since the cotton price soaring in the past year, comparing to bean and corn, cotton was more lucrative.

Referring to the current drought in the main cotton produce area of the US, Jimmy said it was bad. But the weather always changed. Some recent rain had lessened the drought, and the major sufferers from this drought were bean and corn. The damage to cotton were not that bad.

Compared to other argricultural products, cotton was tolerant to drought somehow, Jimmy added. With the development of technology, the US farmers used 45% less water from 25 years ago to plant a pound of cotton.

Regarding the recent cotton price rising and falling, Jimmy said the price fluctuation was effected by many factors. The cotton price soaring was good for the farmer, but bad for the spinner. No matter what happened, the US has the ability to secure the cotton supply.