Cotton Futures Slide as USDA Ginnings Drop 8% and Crop Ratings Weaken

Cotton futures closed lower on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, with contracts down 16 to 55 points across the board. December 2026 cotton settled at 82.87 cents per pound, down 55 points, while October 2026 closed at 79.69 cents. USDA's Cotton Ginnings report showed 429,250 running bales ginned by September 15, an 8% decline from a year earlier. Weekly Crop Progress data pegged U.S. condition ratings at 34% good/excellent, down 2 percentage points on the week, with Texas ratings falling 5 points. The Cotlook A index dropped 95 points to 91.35 on September 21. ICE certified cotton stocks fell 6,192 bales to 29,556 bales. The Adjusted World Price declined 59 points last week to 68.92 cents per pound. The Seam reported sales of 769 bales Monday at an average of 79.25 cents per pound.