Projections from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) indicate that in the next 10 years (until the 2030/2031 harvest) the world’s cotton production is expected to reach 28.4 million tons and Brazil will be responsible for 12.5% of that market. The country is one of the five largest producers of cotton in the world, along with India, the United States, China and Pakistan. It ranks first in dry farming productivity and is one of the largest exporters in the world.
For the current 2021/2022 harvest, national production should reach 2.71 million tons of cotton lint, an increase of 16.5% compared to the previous harvest. The increase, according to the Brazilian Association of Cotton Producers (ABRAPA), is the result of expanding the planted area due to the near 17% growth in demand recorded this year. Specialists also point to the significant rise in oil prices, used for manufacturing synthetic fiber, as a factor that boosted demand.
Most Brazilian production is concentrated in the states of Mato Grosso and Bahia. According to EMBRAPA (the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation), the two states account for 90% of national cotton, 70% in Mato Grosso and 20% in Bahia, percentages that should be maintained in the coming years.
