The 2021/2022 cotton harvest in the 303 thousand hectares of crop in Western Bahia started last week and should still be profitable for producers, according to Associação Baiana dos Produtores de Algodão [Bahia Association of Cotton Producers] (Abapa). Despite the abnormal distribution of rainfall, which was excessive in the planting period and scarce in February, March and April, Abrapa estimates a 10% reduction in the initially expected harvest.
Productivity ranging between 280 and 300 half bushels of cotton per hectare, compared to 311 half bushels previously estimated and a production of 530 thousand tons of plume (processed cotton), compared to the 588 thousand tons originally expected.
According to the president of Abapa, Luiz Carlos Bergamaschi, this harvest should still be lucrative for producers because inputs were purchased at levels before the war between Russia and Ukraine and cotton was sold at prices above USD 0.80 per pound. Around 70% of the 2021/2022 harvest has already been sold.
For 2022/2023, however, the situation is more worrisome, as fertilizer prices have tripled.
