T cotton Sector at a Glance

Domestic Production 
U.S. cotton is grown predominantly in 17 southern-
tiered “Cotton Belt” States—from Virginia to 
California. Cotton is planted from March to June and harvested from August to December. Among the 
U.S. States, Texas is the largest producer, contributing approximately 40 percent of U.S. cotton 
production in recent years. Other top cotton producers include Georgia, Mississippi, and Arkansas. 
Within Texas, most production is concentrated in the High Plains region, as cotton is particularly suited 
for that area’s climate. 
 

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Figure 1: Cotton (harvested acres), 2017 
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Figure 2: Leading U.S. cotton producing States, 2018-2020 

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U.S. cotton is mechanically harvested using specialized equipment. Seed cotton
—fluffy white fiber that 
includes seeds
—is harvested from the field and pressed into round bales or large modules for 
transport to a gin. During the ginning process, cotton fibers are separated from the seeds, cleaned of 
foreign material, and pressed into bales of lint. In the United States, a small sample of cotton lint is 
collected and sent to a USDA classing office where it is graded, thereby providing the quality 
characteristics on which the cotton is marketed. After ginning, the cotton bales are ready for 

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shipment
—usually to a storage warehouse where bales are consolidated before being sent to a mill for 
further processing into textile and apparel products. 
Policy 
Within the United States, the USDA regulates cotton quality and grading. Industry organizations, such 
as the National Cotton Council, advocate for cotton growers and other cotton industry participants. 
Government legislation is also a key element for cotton growers in the United States. With the passage 
of the 2018 Bipartisan Budget Act, for example, seed cotton (unginned cotton) became a covered 
commodity under the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) programs. 
These programs continued with the passage of the 2018 Farm Act, the Agricultural Improvement Act of 
2018 (see 
Farm Policy
 for detailed information). Traditional crop insurance and risk-management 
programs also help protect farmers from catastrophic and weather-related losses.