GUIDE TO BUYING U.S. COTTON.
Explore the latest guide to buying U.S. cotton fiber, plus all information about the U.S. cotton crop and industry.
Click here to download a PDF of the latest Buyers’ Guide.
The guide features helpful information including:
- In the Field: Regions of U.S. Cotton Production
- In the Field: Cotton Varieties Planted
- From Fiber to Fabric: Classification of U.S. Cotton
- From Harvest to Port: The Bales
- From Port to Port: The COTTON USA Market
- Contact Info

In the field
Cotton Regions in the U.S.
U.S. cotton growers are cultivating the nation. Across 15,852 square miles of farmland in 17 states, Upland and American Pima cotton thrives. Explore here to discover details of each region’s output, cotton specifications, invaluable live pricing data and more.

Southeastern Region
- States: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina & Virginia
- Amount of Upland cotton sown and grown in the region: 32%
- Planting season: April - June
- Harvest season: September - December
- Average staple length: 35.5 thirty seconds of an inch
Mid-South Region
- States: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri & Tennesee
- Amount of Upland cotton sown and grown in the region: 19%
- Planting season: April - June
- Harvest season: September - December
- Average staple length: 35.7 thirty seconds of an inch
Southwest Region
- States: Kansas, Oklahoma & Texas
- Amount of Upland cotton sown and grown in the region: 45%
- Planting season: Mid-April
- Harvest season: October - December
- Average staple length: 35.3 thirty seconds of an inch
(The South Texas planting season starts in February, and harvesting happens from July to September.)
West Region
- States: Arizona, California & New Mexico
- Amount of Upland cotton sown and grown in the region: 4%
- Planting season: April - June
- Harvest season: September - December
- Average staple length: 36.8 thirty seconds of an inch
Seven Segments of the Cotton Industry.
There are seven raw cotton industry segments, and the National Cotton Council of America (NCC) is the central organization that represents them all. The mission is to keep cotton competitive in the fiber and oilseed markets at home and abroad, allowing the industry to compete effectively and profitably.
Each membership segment has an equal voice in developing policy in support of this mission. Together, they form a broader base for action on legislative, research and regulatory issues affecting the cotton industry. Farms and businesses directly involved in the production, distribution and processing of cotton employ more than 125,000 workers and produce direct business revenue of more than $21 billion. Annual cotton production is valued at more than $5.5 billion at the farm gate, the point at which the producer markets the crop. Accounting for the ripple effect of cotton through the broader economy, direct and indirect employment surpasses 280,000 workers with economic activity of almost $100 billion.

Producers

Ginners

Warehousers

Merchants

Cottonseed Handlers

Cooperatives

Manufacturers
