Cotton harvesters are in the fields across a broader geography. So says the USDA Crop Progress report for the week ending Oct. 3.
According to the report, 13% of the U.S. cotton crop has now been harvested, led by Texas and Arizona, with Mississippi and Louisiana making gains in the past week. In all, 14 of the 15 cottonproducing states are now reporting harvest activity – which is lagging 6 percentage points behind the 5- year average for this date.
Bolls are still opening across all of the Cotton Belt. The report shows open bolls reported in 70% of the crop – up 10 percentage points in the past week but 5 percentage points off the 5-year pace. Nine states also showed double digit increases, led by Kansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Okla
North Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Alabama, and South Carolina.
Overall crop condition remains relatively unchanged. The report rates 62% of the crop as good/excellent, 32% fair, and 6% poor/very poor.