The National Cotton Council (NCC) and the USDA anticipate the total number of planted cotton acres will sink to a 10-year low. An NCC survey projects that 9.6 million acres will be planted, while the USDA Prospective Plantings Report places the planted acreage at 9.87 million.

This represents a 14% to 15% drop in planted acres from 2024. It would be the lowest planted cotton acres since 2015.

Texas is one of the states forecast to see the largest decline compared to its three-year average. The state is expected to see nearly one million fewer acres of cotton in 2025. Farmers are projected to shift to corn and sorghum due to lower cotton prices.

In the Southeast, farmers are expected to shift more to corn and peanuts. Georgia is the largest cotton-growing state in this region and, according to the USDA, accounts for 39% of the acreage decline.

A few states, including Arizona, Virginia, and Kansas, are defying the trend and plan to increase planted cotton acres.

Read more about 2025 cotton planting projections here.