In its latest report, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has projected the US cotton production at 16.5 million bales for 2016, a 2 per cent increase as compared to last year. However, the report doesn’t show any change in the planted and harvested area, estimated at around 10.2 million acres and 9.7 million acres in the current year.
Driven by improved conditions, particularly in the south-west regions, the 2016 US cotton yield is estimated at 821 pounds per harvested acre, 7 per cent up in comparison to the previous season. The report also added that the abandonment rate of 5 per cent forecast for this season is the lowest since the 2010 cotton crop.
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Moreover, this year’s upland cotton is also projected at 16 million, a hefty increase from around 12.5 million bales in the previous year. Also, the extra-long staple (ELS) crop is forecast at 562,000 bales, which is also considerably above the last year’s ELS cotton crop.
