Document Type
Report
Publication Date
6-2024
Keywords
Arkansas, cotton, planting, fruiting, harvesting, crop yield, crop quality, pest management
Abstract
With current production costs and cotton prices, either record or near-record yields are needed for profitable cotton production in Arkansas. As usual, price volatility in 2023 added another level of difficulty in the quest for being profitable. Cotton futures traded between 80 and 90 cents per pound in 2023, with brief times below 80 cents and above 90 cents. In April, cotton futures dropped below 80 cents per pound, the lowest level in almost four months. This was due to an increase in certificated stocks, declining demand, and a growing world carryover. The average cotton price received by U.S. growers in 2023 was 79.0 cents compared to 85.0 in 2022, 75.8 in 2021, and 59.2 in 2020. Unfortunately, production costs have steadily increased. Great uncertainties still exist for the upcoming season, most of which are outside of our control. These include, but are not limited to, weather extremes, inflation, supply chain disruptions, rising interest rates, and a strengthening U.S. dollar.
Citation
Bourland, F. (2024). Summaries of Arkansas Cotton Research 2023. Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/aaesser/224
Series Number
703
Included in
Agricultural Economics Commons, Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Breeding and Genetics Commons