Cotton plantation acreage to shrink this year

U.S. cotton producers intend to plant 9.5 million acres of cotton this spring, down almost 12% from 2007, according to the National Cotton Council’s 25th Annual Early Season Planting Intentions Survey. Upland cotton intentions are 9.32 million acres, a decrease of 11.6% from 2007. Extra long staple (ELS) intentions of 231,000 acres represent a 21.1% decrease from 2007. Assuming an average abandonment rate, total upland and ELS harvested area would be about 8.76 million acres. Applying state-level yield assumptions to projected harvested acres generates a crop of about 15.38 million bales. This compares to 2007’s total production of 19.03 million bales. Assuming average seed-to-lint ratios, 2008 cottonseed production is projected at 5.28 million tonnes, down from 6.60 million tonnes  last year.u