U.S. cotton acreage

Cotton acreage in the United States rose slightly during the first half of the 2000s, which continued a multi-decade trend. 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 averaged over 14.5 million acres during the first half of the 2000s. Since 2006, however, U.S. cotton planted area has been considerably lower as relative prices have favored the planting of alternative crops, such as corn and soybeans. All regions of the Cotton Belt have experienced significant declines compared with the first half of the 2000s.