U.S. Cotton Seedings Up 9%

WASHINGTON - Jun 30/14 - SNS -- All cotton planted area for 2014 is estimated at 11.4 million acres, 9% above last year, according to the USDA's seeded area report for 2014.

Upland area is estimated at 11.2 million acres, up 10% from 2013. American Pima area is estimated at 178,000 acres, down 11% from 2013. The upland planted area in New Mexico for 2014 is estimated at a record low.

Cotton planting in Arizona and California progressed quickly this spring while most other cotton growing regions remained behind normal. However, favorable weather throughout the month of May allowed producers to catch up in planting progress. By May 25, sixty-two% of the crop had been planted, just 2 percentage points behind the 5-year average. By June 22, 25% of the crop was squaring, 4 percentage points ahead of last year but 2 percentage points behind the five-year average. As of June 22, 53% of the crop was rated in good to excellent condition, compared with 43% rated in these two categories at the same time last year.

Producers planted 96% of their acreage with seed varieties developed using biotechnology, up 6 percentage points from last year. Varieties containing bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) were planted on 5% of the acreage, down 3 percentage points from last year. Herbicide resistant varieties were planted on 12% of the acreage, down 3 percentage points from 2013. Stacked gene varieties, those containing both insect and herbicide resistance, were planted on 79% of the acreage, up 12 percentage points from a year ago.