Cotton growers could face major declines in acreage this year

Cotton growers here in the U.S. might make a big cut in acreage this spring.

The USDA warning comes after growers increased plantings by more than 2.5 million acres last year. For 2023, they are expecting acres to fall from around 13 million to around 9 million. USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer says there are several factors that play into this.

“The cotton markets really struggled all year to find a direction on price. Prices are decent now, but well down from really eye-wateringly high prices at certain points over the last 12 months. Lots of concerns about what aggregate demand look like, and part of that’s tied to global macroeconomic conditions, right? That is one of the issues.”

Meyer warns these issues could make growers skittish when it comes to devoting significant land to the crop.

Related Stories
Here are the top agriculture news headlines from RFD-TV News today (Thursday, March 13, 2025) and the top trending stories on RFD-TV News.

Agriculture Shows
Farm Traveler is for people who want to connect with their food and those who grow it. Thanks to direct-to-consumer businesses, agritourism, and social media, it’s now easier than ever to learn how our food is made and support local farmers. Here on the Farm Traveler, we want to connect you with businesses offering direct-to-consumer products you can try at home, agritourism sites you can visit with your family, and exciting new technologies that are changing how your food is being grown.
Featuring members of Congress, federal and state officials, ag and food leaders, farmers, and roundtable panelists for debates and discussions.
Journey into lives of two hard-working farm families to see the risks, rewards, and funny shenanigans that take place every day. From cat-fishing and watermelon smashing and pig chasing and go-cart racing—there is never a dull moment on these family farms. We’ll also get a modern look at the newest cutting-edge farming techniques that are revolutionizing the industry and providing a greener and more sustainable way to grow.
RFD-TV has partnered with a handful of agricultural social media influencers whom we have dubbed The New Crop. These folks have taken to the internet to tell their stories and to raise awareness of where our food comes from and all that goes into feeding the world population.
The goal of “Where the Food Comes From” is as simple as its name implies — host Chip Carter takes you along on the journey of where our food comes from — and we don’t just mean to the supermarket (though that’s part of the big picture!). But beyond where it comes from, how it gets there, and all the links in the chain that make that happen.