WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2025 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Commodity Credit Corporation today announced that the marketing assistance loan rate for 2026-crop base quality upland cotton is 55.00 cents per pound, an increase over the 2025 upland cotton crop loan rates, allowing producers of upland cotton to borrow a higher share of the value of crops placed under loan.
Marketing assistance loans provide interim financing to producers so that commodities can be stored upon harvest when market prices are typically low and sold later when price conditions are more favorable.
Base quality upland cotton has the following characteristics: color grade 41, leaf grade 4, staple length 1-1/16 inches, micronaire 3.5-3.6 and 4.3-4.9, strength 26.0-28.9 grams per tex and length uniformity of 80.0-81.9%.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act established the base quality marketing assistance loan rate for upland cotton at a set rate of $0.55 per pound.
FSA helps America’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners invest in, improve, protect and expand their agricultural operations through the delivery of agricultural programs for all Americans. FSA implements agricultural policy, administers credit and loan programs, and manages conservation, commodity, disaster recovery and marketing programs through a national network of state and county offices and locally elected county committees. For more information, visit fsa.usda.gov.
Farm Service Agency:
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SW Washington, DC 20250
Contact:
FPAC Press Desk
FPAC.BC.Press@usda.gov