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The U.S. cotton industry generates more than 400,000
jobs among the various sectors from farm to textile mill
and accounts for more than $40 billion in products and
services annually. Cotton is produced in 17 southern
States from Virginia to California. Major concentrations
include areas of:
- the Texas High and Rolling Plains;
- the Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana Delta;
- California's San Joaquin Valley;
- Central Arizona; and
- Southern Georgia.
U.S. cotton is grown as an annual from seed planted
each year, although cotton can be grown as
a perennial in
tropical climates. Given the vast differences
across the U.S. production area, the cotton
growing season varies
dramatically, as typical planting occurs
between March and June and usual harvesting
occurs
between August and
December.
The predominant type of cotton grown in the
United States is American Upland (Gossypium hirsutum).
The upland type,
which usually has a staple length of 1 to
1 1/4 inches, accounts for about 97 percent
of
the
annual U.S.
cotton crop. Upland cotton is grown throughout
the U.S. Cotton
Belt as well as in most major cotton-producing
countries. The balance of U.S.-grown cotton
is American Pima
or extra-long staple (ELS) (Gossypium barbadense).
ELS cotton, which has a staple length of
1 1/2 inches or longer,
is produced predominantly in California,
Arizona, New Mexico, and southwest Texas,
where it is
particularly well adapted to the arid environmental
conditions.
The
markets for ELS cotton are mainly high-value
products such as sewing thread and expensive
apparel.
Cotton acreage in the United States rose
slightly during the 1990s from the previous
two decades.
In the 1970s
and 1980s, area planted to cotton averaged
about 12 million acres. Area rose to about
14 million
acres in the 1990s,
and has averaged slightly higher since then.
Most the growth in area has been in the Southeast,
in
part reflecting
the cost-reducing impact of boll-weevil eradication.
According to the Census of Agriculture, U.S. cotton
farms numbered 24,805 in 2002, down from 33,640 in 1997.
While the number has fallen, cotton acreage per farm
has risen. As a result, the number of large cotton farms
(over 1,000 acres) has continued to increase while the
number of small cotton farms (under 100 acres) declines.
Like area, cotton production in the United States during
the 1990s rose above the previous two decades, paralleling
advances in technology (seed varieties, fertilizers,
pesticides, and machinery) and production practices (reduced
tillage, irrigation, crop rotations, and pest management
systems). In recent years, the impact of these changes
has been particularly evident, with yields reaching new
highs.
Consumption of cotton by U.S. textile mills also rose
during the 1990s, but peaked in 1997. Since then, U.S.
mill use of cotton has plummeted, dropping about 50 percent
by 2005. While the end of the Multifibre
Arrangement’s
(MFA) quotas in 2005 was a factor in this decline,
much of the decline in U.S. textile production occurred
before
then. U.S. consumer demand for cotton has continued to
grow, but imported clothing now accounts for most purchases
by U.S. consumers. (See U.S.
Textile and Apparel Industries and Rural America for more information about
the impact of changes in textile trade on the U.S. textile
industry.)
The world's four largest cotton-producing countries are
China, the United States, India, and Pakistan, which
together account for nearly 70 percent of world production.
Other major producers include Uzbekistan, Brazil, and
Turkey. Turkey is the fourth largest consumer of cotton
in the world behind China, India, and Pakistan (bumping
the United States to fifth place among consuming nations).
Like Turkey, Brazil is also a major cotton-consuming
country, but is increasingly exporting cotton to the
world market, while Turkey’s imports have grown.
While cotton is generally a Northern Hemisphere crop,
about 10 percent of the world's output comes from south
of the equator (primarily Brazil and Australia) and is
harvested during the Northern Hemisphere's spring.
Trade is particularly important for cotton. More than
30 percent of the world's consumption of cotton fiber
crosses international borders before processing, a
larger share than for wheat, corn, soybeans, or rice. Through
trade in yarn, fabric, and clothing, much of the world's
cotton again crosses international borders at least
once more before reaching the final consumer.
The cotton industry continues to face many of the supply
and demand concerns confronting other field crops.
However, since cotton is used primarily in manufactured
products,
the industry faces additional challenges associated
with the economic well-being of downstream manufacturing
industries.
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