Production

In the US, just over seventeen million bales of cotton (8.2 billion pounds) were harvested from 13 million cotton acres in 2000. This acreage is consistent with 1999 cotton acreage and production and represents an increase from the 14 million bales produced on 10.6 million acres in 1998 [5]. Total cotton crop value in 2000 was $4.8 billion. The vast majority of the cotton is upland varieties with a minority of higher value, extra long staple cotton produced in CA, AZ, NM and TX. Currently, seventeen states contribute to US production (see Table 34.1). The US accounts for approximately 20 % of the world’s annual production of cotton and in recent years has ranked as the number two cotton producing country in the world behind China. However, in terms of exports, the US is the number one cotton exporter in the world with approximately 40 % of its production exported annually. Major US cotto

Production

California ranks first in the production of alfalfa hay producing 7.1 million tons on one million harvested acres in 2000 [3]. California alfalfa yields of 7.0 tons/A are twice the national average for all states. The value of alfalfa hay production was $621 million or$87/Ton in California in 2000 [2]. Alfalfa is the second most important revenue producing field crop in California behind cotton and the third most important crop overall behind grapes and cotton. Alfalfa is the major feedstock for the state’s $3.6 billion/year dairy industry. California is the nation’s leading state in the production of milk and cream producing 25 billion lbs./yr. The principal users of alfalfa hay remain the dairy industry consuming approximately 70 % of California’s production. The remaining 30 % is shared by the horse, cattle and sheep industry [31]. Alfalfa hay has certain attributes that make it an excellent forage for dairy cows. It is lower in fiber and higher in protein than any other single forage. As an ingredient in a ration for high producing cows, no single forage can contribute in more ways than alfalfa hay. Eighteen pounds of alfalfa provides one third of the fiber, over a third of the crude protein, a fourth of the energy and half of the calcium required for a high level of milk production [20]. High-quality alfalf