US cotton: some states expect record yields
12/10/2009
The US Department of Agriculture has forecast that cotton production there will increase slightly from last year, to 13 million bales, with record yields expected for some growers in the south.
The report is based on October 1 conditions. Rains have plagued parts of the Gulf Coast and Southeast in recent weeks, limiting farmers' time in the fields and, in some places, taking a toll on the crop as it awaits the completion of harvest.
Nine of 17 cotton states, including Louisiana, are expecting increased production this year, in spite of US growers having planted fewer acres. In Texas, the US cotton king, production is forecast to reach 5 million bales, up from 4.5 million last year. In Georgia, it’s expected to hit about 1.9 million bales, up from 1.6 million. USDA said upland growers in Alabama and Georgia were expecting record yields.
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