Modest Decline in U.S. Cotton

WASHINGTON - Sep 12/06 - SNS -- The USDA expects this year's cotton harvest to end up around 20.3 million 480-pound bales, down slightly from last month and down 15% from last year's record high production.

Yield is expected to average 762 pounds per acre, down 3 pounds from last month and down 69 pounds from last year. The September harvested area is expected to total 12.8 million acres, virtually unchanged from last month but down 7% from last year.

"Lower production forecasts from last month in the Southeast and California were partially offset by higher production in the Southwest and Texas," the USDA said in its latest crop production estimates.

Upland cotton harvested area, at 12.5 million acres, is virtually unchanged from last month but down 8% from 2005. Based on administrative information, Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Virginia have more acres to be harvested compared with a month ago. Expected harvested acreage decreased in Arizona and California from the previous month.

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