Short answer: Arkansas cotton is usually harvested from late September through mid-November. USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) lists the usual harvest window as September 20 to November 20, with the busiest stretch from September 29 to November 6. The 2026 harvest ran fast in dry weather: 81% of Arkansas cotton was picked by October 25, ahead of the 2021–2025 average of 71%.
Arkansas cotton harvest dates at a glance
NASS's usual planting and harvesting dates for Arkansas upland cotton:
| Stage | Begins | Most active | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planting | April 23 | April 30 – May 23 | May 31 |
| Harvest | September 20 | September 29 – November 6 | November 20 |
Source: USDA NASS, Field Crops Usual Planting and Harvesting Dates (October 2010).
So if you're asking "when is cotton picked in Arkansas," the answer is mostly October, with early fields starting in late September and late fields finishing in November. A dry fall can move that earlier, and a wet one can push it later.
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How the 2026 Arkansas harvest is running
NASS's weekly Crop Progress report tracks the share of the crop harvested:
| Week ending | Arkansas harvested | 2021–2025 average |
|---|---|---|
| October 4, 2026 | 30% | (not shown) |
| October 11, 2026 | 45% | 37% |
| October 18, 2026 | 63% | (not shown) |
| October 25, 2026 | 81% | 71% |
Source: USDA NASS Crop Progress, October 13 and October 26, 2026.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture described the season as a quick one. In an October 21, 2026 update, extension cotton and peanut agronomist Zachary Treadway said harvest progress had jumped nearly 20 percentage points in a week. "The dry weather has allowed pickers to roll from early in the mornings to late at night," he said. He called it "a very kind harvest season," reported positive trends for both yield and quality, and expected harvest to wrap up before Halloween barring an unforeseen hiccup.
Is cotton grown in Arkansas?
Yes, and a lot of it. In 2025 it ranked behind only Texas and Georgia in upland production, according to NASS. According to NASS's Crop Production 2025 Summary:
| Year | Planted acres | Lint yield (lb/harvested acre) | Production (bales) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 510,000 | 1,295 | 1,362,000 |
| 2024 | 650,000 | 1,341 | 1,788,000 |
| 2025 | 520,000 | 1,398 | 1,500,000 |
Arkansas yields are among the highest in the country. The 2025 state average of 1,398 pounds per acre works out to about 2.9 bales per acre (1,398 ÷ 480), compared with a U.S. upland average of 847 pounds. For how that compares with dryland-heavy Texas, see how many bales of cotton per acre Texas makes.
Where cotton is grown in Arkansas
Arkansas cotton is concentrated in the Delta along the state's eastern side, with the biggest counties in the northeast. NASS's 2023 county estimates, the latest county-level release, show the leaders:
| County | Region | 2023 harvested acres | 2023 yield (lb/acre) | 2023 production (bales) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | Northeast | 108,300 | 1,268 | 286,000 |
| Craighead | Northeast | 66,900 | 1,418 | 197,700 |
| Clay | Northeast | 41,000 | 1,340 | 114,500 |
| Lee | East | 42,600 | 1,271 | 112,800 |
| Desha | Southeast | 34,600 | 1,322 | 95,300 |
| Lincoln | Southeast | 25,900 | 1,279 | 69,000 |
| Phillips | East | 23,100 | 1,286 | 61,900 |
| Poinsett | Northeast | 18,600 | 1,378 | 53,400 |
| Ashley | Southeast | 15,400 | 1,175 | 37,700 |
Source: USDA NASS, Arkansas Cotton County Estimates (2022–2023). Bales are 480-lb equivalents.
Mississippi County, around Blytheville and Osceola, produced more than a fifth of the state's 2023 crop on its own. Together with Craighead and Clay counties, the northeast corner accounted for about 44% of Arkansas cotton that year. A second cluster sits in the southeast, in Desha, Lincoln, Ashley and Chicot counties.
Defoliation and harvest timing
Arkansas growers time harvest with defoliants, the harvest aids that drop leaves and open bolls before picking. University of Arkansas extension specialists are among the authors of the MidSouth Cotton Defoliation Guide, which sets out the main timing rules:
- Defoliate in sequence, not all at once. Apply harvest aids 10 to 14 days before the planned harvest. Leaf drop should start in about four days and be complete in about ten.
- Watch boll maturity. One common method combines heat units after cutout with a check of percent open bolls and a look at the bolls themselves. The guide warns that heat-unit counts alone can call for defoliation too early.
- Watch the weather. Harvest aids work best in warm, sunny weather. Nighttime temperatures above 60°F are important for some products, and leaf drop roughly doubles for each 10-degree rise above 60°F.
- Mind rain and frost. Avoid spraying ahead of heavy rain, which can increase hard lock and boll rot in cracking bolls. Apply harvest aids no later than about 10 days before the average first frost. If a freeze is imminent, the guide calls for applying 2 to 3 days ahead of it.
- Plan for two passes in rank cotton. In dense, irrigated cotton with many green bolls, a two-application program often works better than one.
Picking, modules and hauling
Many Arkansas fields are now picked with harvesters that build round modules on board. Each round module holds roughly 4,500 to 5,500 pounds of seed cotton, according to USDA-ARS engineers, and makes about four bales of lint from picked cotton. See cotton module weight for the math, and how a modern cotton gin works for what happens when the module reaches the gin.
Weather risks
A wet fall is the main risk in Arkansas, as it is across the Mid-South. Rain after defoliation can cause regrowth near the stalk that's hard to remove, and rain in cracking bolls raises the risk of hard lock and boll rot. Bolls need warm temperatures to open, and the guide warns that bolls can freeze shut if the process doesn't start while it's still warm, which is why the defoliation guide ties the last harvest aid to the average first frost date.
2026 showed the other side. Drought sped up Arkansas harvests this fall, according to the Division of Agriculture, though the same dry spell shrank the Mississippi River at Memphis, which the Division warned could slow grain exports.
When Arkansas gins run
Gins start up as the first modules come in during late September and run hardest through October, when most of the crop is picked. They keep running after the fields are done, working through modules stored in the yard.
USDA's Cotton Ginnings report gives the pace. By October 15, 2026, Arkansas gins had processed 213,500 running bales, compared with 341,700 by the same date in 2024. (NASS didn't publish a 2025 figure for that date.) Learn how to read those numbers in the USDA Cotton Ginnings report explained, and compare states in cotton ginning season by region.
Arkansas also has one of USDA's 10 cotton classing offices, in Dumas. See how to read your USDA cotton classing report.
To find a gin, start with these pages:
- Cotton gins in Mississippi County, AR, including Farmers First in Blytheville and Lee Wilson & Co. Gin in Wilson
- Cotton gins in Craighead County, AR, including Monette Co-op
- Cotton gins in Ashley County, AR, including Portland Gin & Warehouse
- Cotton gins in Arkansas: full list
For neighboring states, see when cotton is harvested in Mississippi and the ultimate guide to cotton harvest timing by state.
Cotton markets, every trading day. Mid-South cotton prices every trading day: The Cotton Wire. Subscribe to The Cotton Wire
FAQ
What month is cotton harvested in Arkansas?
Mostly October. USDA NASS lists the usual harvest as September 20 to November 20, with the busiest period from September 29 to November 6.
When is cotton planted in Arkansas?
NASS lists the usual planting window as April 23 to May 31, with most planting between April 30 and May 23.
How far along is the 2026 Arkansas cotton harvest?
NASS reported 81% harvested for the week ending October 25, 2026, ahead of the 2021–2025 average of 71%. The Division of Agriculture expected harvest to finish before Halloween.
Which Arkansas county grows the most cotton?
Mississippi County, in the far northeast. NASS estimated it produced 286,000 bales in 2023, followed by Craighead County with 197,700 and Clay County with 114,500.
How many bales of cotton per acre does Arkansas make?
The state averaged 1,398 pounds of lint per harvested acre in 2025, about 2.9 bales, according to USDA NASS.
How long after defoliation is cotton picked in Arkansas?
Usually 10 to 14 days. The MidSouth Cotton Defoliation Guide recommends timing applications that far ahead of the planned harvest.
Sources
- USDA NASS. Field Crops Usual Planting and Harvesting Dates (Agricultural Handbook 628, October 2010): Arkansas upland cotton planting and harvest dates. https://downloads.usda.library.cornell.edu/usda-esmis/files/vm40xr56k/dv13zw65p/w9505297d/planting-10-29-2010.pdf
- USDA NASS. Crop Progress (released October 13, 2026): cotton harvested, weeks ending October 4 and 11, 2026. https://release.nass.usda.gov/reports/prog4126.pdf
- USDA NASS. Crop Progress (released October 26, 2026): cotton harvested, weeks ending October 18 and 25, 2026. https://release.nass.usda.gov/reports/prog4326.pdf
- University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. "Arkansas soybean harvest close to finish, Mississippi River at Memphis shrinks again" (Oct. 21, 2026): cotton harvest progress and comments from Zachary Treadway. https://uaex.uada.edu/media-resources/news/2026/october/10-21-2026-ark-harvest-winds-down-river-lower.aspx
- USDA NASS. Crop Production 2025 Summary (January 2026): Arkansas and U.S. upland cotton acres, yield and production, 2023–2025. https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Todays_Reports/reports/cropan26.pdf
- USDA NASS. Arkansas Cotton County Estimates (2022–2023): upland cotton by county. https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Arkansas/Publications/County_Estimates/2022-2023/23_AR_cotton.pdf
- Raper, T. B., Z. Treadway, et al. 2025 MidSouth Cotton Defoliation Guide (MidSouth Cotton Specialists' Working Group): timing, weather, frost, rain and two-pass guidance. https://arkansascrops.uada.edu/posts/crops/cotton/2025_MidSouth_DefoliationGuide.pdf
- USDA NASS. Cotton Ginnings (released October 22, 2026): running bales ginned by state to October 15. https://release.nass.usda.gov/reports/ctgn4326.pdf
- Funk, P. A., and J. D. Wanjura. "Seed Cotton Unloading Systems." Journal of Cotton Science 21:51–59 (2017): round module weight. https://doi.org/10.56454/zjjg4144
- Delhom, C. D., et al. "Evaluation of Practices to Unwrap Round Cotton Modules." Journal of Cotton Science 27:90–101 (2023): bales per round module. https://www.cotton.org/journal/2023-27/2/upload/JCS27-090.pdf
- USDA AMS. "Cotton Classing Office Locations": Dumas, Ark., classing office. https://www.ams.usda.gov/about-ams/programs-offices/cotton-tobacco/classing-offices
