The critical water supply is weighing heavily on predicted cotton acreage in California this year as we head into the 2021 planting season.  As a result, California is preliminarily expecting a 30% decrease in overall cotton acreage for 2021.

According to preliminary planting intentions survey conducted by the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association this month, the Association is currently estimating approximately only 96,224 acres of pima and Hazera and 35,577 acres of upland statewide for the 2021cotton season plus or minus 10%.   This survey is based on surveys from all of the gins in California and things could change when planting is actually completed and final field surveys are completed by CDFA.  If it plays out, it will represent a 34% decrease in pima acreage and a 14.3% decrease in upland acreage in California as compared to 2020. Again, this is preliminary, but reflects what all gins are reporting.