Cotton Production in the United States: Production Expenses and Crop Diversity

In the United States cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production expenses, as well as the diversity of crops grown on cotton operations, have changed over time. Census of Agriculture data from 1997, 2002, 2007, and 2012 and cost of production estimates from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) back to 1975 are used to explore differences between operations classified as cotton operations (NAICS 11192) and operations that harvest cotton, as well as how production expenses have changed over time. Additionally, county level Census of Agriculture data are used to calculate crop diversity values for counties with harvested cotton to investigate how crop diversity has changed from 1997 to 2012. Understanding production expenses and the mix of crops grown can help researchers and educators better recognize the production challenges faced by cotton producers in the United States.