 Cotton is the basic resource for thousands of consumer and industrial products manufactured in the U.S. and throughout the world, and the contribution made by cotton to the food and fiber industry continues to grow in importance.
Cotton is grown in 17 states, stretching from Virginia to California, covering more than 12 million acres or about 19,000 square miles. From this combined acreage, the nation?s cotton farmers annually harvest about 17 million bales or 7.2 billion pounds of cotton. Business revenue stimulated by the crop in the U.S. economy is estimated at some $120 billion.
The cotton industry is an important consumer. At the farm level alone, the production of each year's crop involves the purchase of more than $5.3 billion worth of supplies and services ... stimulating business activity for factories and enterprises throughout the country. In a typical year, U.S. cotton farmers invest more than $652 million in fertilizers, $762 million in agricultural chemicals and $238 million in planting seed. They also pay out more than $528 million in fuel and equipment and $610 million in farm labor.
More than half the crop (64 percent) goes into apparel, 28 percent into home furnishings and 8 percent into industrial products each year.
An often-overlooked component of the crop is the vast amount of cottonseed that is produced along with the fiber. Annual cottonseed production averages 5.7 million tons. More than 9 billion pounds of whole cottonseed and cottonseed meal are used in feed for livestock, dairy cattle and poultry. And more than 154 million gallons of cottonseed oil are used for food products ranging from margarine to salad dressing.
Overseas sales of U.S. cotton make a significant contribution to the reduction in the U.S. trade deficit. Annual values of U.S. cotton sold overseas recently have averaged more than $3 billion. The U.S. commonly supplies 7 million bales or more of the world?s cotton exports, accounting for about 25 percent of the total world export market. The largest customers for U.S. raw cotton are in Asia and Mexico.
The export of U.S.-manufactured textile products continues to grow, with more than 5 million bale equivalents shipped in 2000.
In addition to offering a national perspective on the industry, the World of Cotton data provides state, congressional district and county profiles as well. The number of businesses, jobs and the revenue they generate is available for each cotton-producing state. | |
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Production maps provide a profile of how cotton affects the economy at national, state, county and Congressional district levels. | |
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