This year, drought and prolonged heat took a toll on US cotton yields as production dropped to its lowest in a decade. USDA’s cotton yield estimates dropped to 845 pounds per acre in 2023 as against 953 pounds per acre in 2022. The biggest yield 

drop Y-o-Y was witnessed in Texas followed by Florida and California. 

This sharp drop in yield alongwith abandoned acres in West Texas led to US cotton production falling to the lowest in a decade this year.

Made up of 29 agencies and offices with nearly 100,000 employees, USDA is an executive  department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production. It promotes agricultural trade and production, protects natural resources, fosters rural communities and works to end hunger in the United States and internationally.