More Organic
The amount of acreage devoted to organic cotton increased 14 percent in 2005, according to a recent survey released by the Organic Trade Association. The survey, funded by a Cotton Inc. grant, found that farmers planted 6,325 acres of organic cotton in 2005, up from the 5,550 acres planted in 2004. Most of the organic cotton is grown in Texas, with California and New Mexico coming in a distant second and third. Last year, farmers planted 6,254 acres of organic cotton. However, harvesting figures for 2006 are not yet available. Approximately 9,630 bales of organic cotton were harvested in 2005, up 41 percent from 2004’s total of 6,814, according to the OTA survey and additional information from the Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative.
