USDA moves to stem ongoing US cotton farming losses
Key takeaways
- According to USDA forecasts, US cotton producers could lose an estimated $2.6bn across 9 million planted acres in the upcoming crop year.
- The sector’s challenges are underscored by the decline in processing capacity, with the number of US cotton gins falling from 2,254 in 1980 to 446 today.
- The federal government attributes a major share of the sector’s difficulties to the rapid expansion of synthetic fibre use.
USDA moves to stem ongoing US cotton farming losses Cotton is one of the most economically significant crops in the US · Just Style Jangoulun Singsit Mon, June 8, 2026 at 6:18 PM GMT+7 3 min read Named the Great American Cotton Plan, it was announced by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins on 28 May 2026 as a “comprehensive USDA initiative” in response to mounting economic pressures that include rising production costs, shrinking profit margins, and increasing competition from synthetic textile materials.
According to USDA forecasts, US cotton producers could lose an estimated $2.6bn across 9 million planted acres in the upcoming crop year.
The sector’s challenges are underscored by the decline in processing capacity, with the number of US cotton gins falling from 2,254 in 1980 to 446 today. Domestic textile manufacturing facilities have also “sharply contracted” in recent decades, compounding concerns around the industry’s long-term stability.