Can Cotton Compete? Evaluating Cotton Crop Rotations in Northeastern Louisiana

Crop acreage in the Mississippi River Delta Region of Louisiana has witnessed a decline in cotton plantings in recent years as more cotton producers favor more profitable cropping alternatives-namely corn and soybeans. Evaluating net returns at the producer level through a farm financial simulation model allows for a comparison to be made on the basis of farm profitability when comparing corn, cotton, and soybean crop rotations. Historical prices and yields coupled with current farm management practices for northeastern Louisiana are used in model development. Key farm budgeting principles such as expected market price and unit production costs effect and influence acreage diversification. This research focuses on the effect that competing grain prices have on cotton acres in northeastern Louisiana.