California Cotton Faces Another Tough Season as Prices Stall

California’s cotton sector is heading into one of its toughest seasons in decades, with growers across the state cutting acres as global demand stays sluggish and prices refuse to budge. Pima, the state’s signature premium fiber, would need to climb past $2 a pound for farmers to break even, yet it has been stuck closer to $1.25 to $1.50 through 2024 and 2025. Upland cotton has not fared much better, hovering around the same prices growers saw 30 years ago.

According to a recent Ag Alert from the California Farm Bureau, the situation is playing out statewide in a significant way.

The California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association expects 2025 production to fall to about 400,000 bales, far below the typical 600,000, with acreage down roughly a third from last year. Even in historically strong cotton regions like Kings and Fresno counties, reductions are reshaping the landscape. And it is not only growers feeling the impact. Gins, trucking companies, and support businesses are taking hits as fewer acres move through the system. With weak global textile demand and softer U.S. exports, the industry is bracing for another challenging year.