Organic cotton is a tiny part of the U.S. production, a bit more than 10,000 bales out of the total of 16 million bales. But organic growers said in a survey that they intend to expand plantings this year, to nearly 19,000 acres. That would be a 5-percent increase, on top of the 4-percent increase in 2014, when plantings were the largest in 20 years, says the Organic Trade Association. Organic cotton sells at a premium versus conventional cotton. Growers reported receiving $1.38 a pound for organic upland cotton and as much as $2.20 per pound for Pima cotton. By comparison, the USDA says the season-average price for conventional upland cotton was 77.9 cents per pound for the 2014 crop.
The OTA report says growth of the organic cotton sector is likely to be incremental, although growers project plantings to increase in both the near and medium term. There are a limited number of regions with soil and climate conditions ideal for organic cotton. Seed is in short supply and expensive, and there is a shortage of farm labor for manual weeding. “That said, those in the small group of U.S. organic cotton growers are experienced, well-organized and committed to the enterprise,” said OTA.
The Organic Cotton Survey is available here.