Brian Pieralisi
To say that 2025 has been a challenging year for cotton growers and the cotton industry would be grossly understating it. Going into this year, there were no surprises from high input costs and low market prices. However, everyone was at least looking for a good start. This proved to be problematic for many growers in Mississippi. A few acres were planted in late April and as we entered May, our optimal planting window, it rained up until June. Fortunately for some, producers with sandy and well-drained soils were able to be planted in May, but it’s limited to these acres. By June, growers were making the decision to file for prevented planting or roll the dice on a late crop.
June and July were favorable for cotton in Mississippi. There were scattered thunderstorms that provided timely rains for many, and days were not unusually hot, and nights were cool enough for the plants to recover and successfully pollinate. Given the start of the year, the cotton crop in Mississippi was above average in terms of yield. Currently, we still have some late-planted cotton in the field, but most yield reports have been favorable, despite cotton’s low market value. For example, one of our On-Farm demonstrations in Coahoma County averaged over 1,700 lbs. of lint per acre. I am still hopefully optimistic that cotton will rebound in 2026.
Where do we go from here? That is a great question. The bright side to this is that we are in a pivotal place with cotton. To the point that something has got to change, and if the correct changes are made, it will be in the best interest of the cotton industry. I think supply chain marketing for cotton will get more cotton products on the shelves. Also, it appears that more favorable global trade negotiations are taking place that will hopefully support higher market prices for cotton and all Mississippi row crops.
Bkp4@msstate.edu