Named the Great American Cotton Plan, it was announced by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L.
Rollins on 28 May 2026 as a “comprehensive USDA initiative” in response to mounting economic pressures that include rising production costs, shrinking profit margins, and increasing competition from synthetic textile materials
According to USDA forecasts, US cotton producers could lose an estimated $2.6bn across 9 million planted acres in the upcoming crop year. The sector’s challenges are underscored by the decline in processing capacity, with the number of US cotton gins falling from 2,254 in 1980 to 446 today. Domestic textile manufacturing facilities have also “sharply contracted” in recent decades, compounding concerns around the industry’s long-term stability.
The federal government attributes a major share of the sector’s difficulties to the rapid expansion of synthetic fibre use. Approximately 70% of global textile fibres are now synthetic and are mainly produced from petroleum-based materials like polyester and nylon. Secretary Rollins said: “Since 1607, cotton has helped build and sustain rural America.