Aug 23, 2018
Farmers in Bahia very Pleased with Cotton Production and Price
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
With 70% their cotton harvested, farmers in western Bahia are very satisfied with their cotton crop. The cotton yields in western Bahia are record high, the quality of the fiber is very good, and the price is very good.
The state of Bahia is the second largest cotton producing state in Brazil after Mato Grosso. During the 2017/18 growing season, farmers in the state planted 263,700 hectares of cotton, which represented an increase of 30% compared to the previous year. All the cotton in the state must be harvested by September 20th, which is the start of the cotton-free period in the state. From mid-September to early December, farmers are required to eliminate all live cotton plants from their property as a way to help control the spread of the boll weivel from one growing season to the next.
Cotton production in Bahia is on a roll so to speak. This is the second year in a row that cotton yields have set new record highs and this is the second year in a row that cotton prices have been very attractive.
As a result, cotton farmers in Bahia are planning to increase their cotton acreage by 20% again in the 2018/19 growing season to 313,000 hectares. According to the Cotton Producers Association of Bahia (Abapa), over the next three growing season, the cotton acreage in the state should increase to 400,000 hectares.
The state is expected to produce 1.2 million tons of cotton in 2017/18, which is 300,000 tons more than the previous year. Approximately 60% of the cotton goes to the domestic market with 40% being exported to Asian countries.