Mississippi Cotton Price — USDA NASS Monthly & MYA Data
Mississippi Cotton price reached $0.66/lb in May 2025 — about $0.02/lb above the US average of $0.64/lb. Monthly price received by producers, sourced directly from USDA NASS.
Cotton monthly price trend
Mississippi vs the US average, last 24 months of USDA NASS data
| Month | Mississippi price | US average |
|---|---|---|
| 2020-01 | $0.60/lb | $0.60/lb |
| 2020-02 | $0.63/lb | $0.61/lb |
| 2020-11 | $0.62/lb | $0.63/lb |
| 2020-12 | $0.62/lb | $0.66/lb |
| 2021-02 | $0.74/lb | $0.73/lb |
| 2021-03 | $0.73/lb | $0.70/lb |
| 2021-07 | $0.77/lb | $0.75/lb |
| 2021-12 | $0.84/lb | $0.88/lb |
| 2022-01 | $0.92/lb | $0.96/lb |
| 2022-10 | $0.87/lb | $0.86/lb |
| 2023-01 | $0.87/lb | $0.81/lb |
| 2023-03 | $0.93/lb | $0.83/lb |
| 2023-10 | $0.74/lb | $0.76/lb |
| 2023-11 | $0.72/lb | $0.68/lb |
| 2023-12 | $0.78/lb | $0.74/lb |
| 2024-01 | $0.78/lb | $0.77/lb |
| 2024-02 | $0.84/lb | $0.78/lb |
| 2024-05 | $0.85/lb | $0.85/lb |
| 2024-07 | $0.87/lb | $0.87/lb |
| 2025-01 | $0.64/lb | $0.62/lb |
| 2025-02 | $0.64/lb | $0.63/lb |
| 2025-03 | $0.64/lb | $0.62/lb |
| 2025-04 | $0.65/lb | $0.64/lb |
| 2025-05 | $0.66/lb | $0.64/lb |
How Mississippi compares
Top Cotton-producing states, May 2025 price
| State | Price | vs US avg |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | $0.658/lb | +2.7% |
| Mississippi | $0.657/lb | +2.5% |
| North Carolina | $0.656/lb | +2.3% |
| Arkansas | $0.653/lb | +1.9% |
| Alabama | $0.647/lb | +0.9% |
| Tennessee | $0.624/lb | -2.7% |
| Texas | $0.606/lb | -5.5% |
What this price means for Mississippi Cotton farmers
Mississippi cotton prices reached 0.657 dollars per pound in May 2025, sitting about 2 cents above the national average of 0.641 dollars per pound for the same month. That modest premium over the US figure is largely a function of local basis conditions — transportation logistics, gin capacity, and competition among area buyers — rather than any inherent difference in fiber quality. Looking beyond the monthly snapshot, this year's marketing-year-average price of 0.587 dollars per pound tells a more sobering story, running roughly 6 cents below last year's finalized MYA of 0.651 dollars per pound, a decline that will weigh on whole-farm revenue calculations for the 2024–25 crop.
For marketing and selling decisions, the distinction between a single monthly print and the full marketing-year-average matters enormously. A producer tempted to lock in a forward contract based on May's 0.657 figure should recognize that spot strength late in the marketing year does not erase the weaker prices that dominated earlier months, as the January through March range of roughly 0.636 to 0.641 illustrates. The MYA, even in its preliminary form, blends all of those monthly realizations into the number that ultimately determines loan deficiency payments, crop insurance revenue guarantees, and annual profit-and-loss statements, making it the appropriate foundation for budget planning rather than any single month's price. Growers and agronomists who anchor revenue projections to a favorable monthly observation risk overstating expected income and underestimating operating-cost exposure heading into the next season.
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Frequently asked questions — Mississippi Cotton price
Why is Mississippi's May 2025 cotton price $0.657/lb higher than the US average of $0.641/lb?
Mississippi cotton typically trades at a premium to the national average due to factors like local gin capacity, proximity to export terminals along the Mississippi River, and regional supply-demand dynamics — a difference known as the local basis. In May 2025, Mississippi's $0.016/lb positive basis reflects stronger local demand or favorable logistics relative to the broader US market, which can meaningfully impact net returns for Delta producers.
What is the difference between Mississippi's May 2025 monthly price of $0.657/lb and the marketing-year-average price of $0.587/lb?
The monthly price of $0.657/lb represents what Mississippi cotton producers were effectively receiving during May 2025, while the marketing-year-average (MYA) of $0.587/lb reflects the season-long weighted average price across all months cotton was sold, typically August through July. The $0.070/lb gap suggests that prices strengthened later in the marketing year, rewarding producers who held inventory or used forward contracts to capture higher spring prices rather than selling at harvest.
How frequently does USDA update Mississippi cotton price data, and where does this data originate?
USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) releases state-level cotton prices monthly, typically in the Agricultural Prices report published near the end of each month for the prior month's data. The marketing-year-average price is finalized after the full marketing year concludes and is published in the USDA NASS annual summary, making the monthly prints the most timely benchmark available for in-season marketing decisions.
How can I use Mississippi's cotton price data alongside yield estimates to project farm revenue per acre?
Multiply your expected or actual yield in pounds per acre by the relevant price benchmark — for example, a 1,200 lb/acre yield at the May 2025 price of $0.657/lb projects to approximately $788 per acre in gross revenue. Using the marketing-year-average of $0.587/lb instead gives a more conservative full-season estimate of $704 per acre, which is useful for breakeven analysis and comparing against your cost of production when evaluating whether to price remaining unpriced bales.