Brazil officially became the world's largest exporter of cotton, surpassing the United States for the first time, a target set for 2030, but achieved before the end of the 2023/2024 commercial year. The 75th meeting of the Cotton Production Chain Sector Chamber celebrated the achievement during the XXI Anea Cotton Dinner, in Comandatuba, Bahia.
According to the Brazilian Association of Cotton Producers (Abrapa), in the current harvest, Brazil should harvest around 3.7 million tons of processed cotton and export approximately 2.6 million tons. The harvest is accelerating and the quality of production should surpass that of the 2022/2023 harvest. They sold around 60% of production.
“Achieving global leadership in the supply of feathers marks a historic milestone, but it does not constitute a goal in itself, and it was not expected to be achieved so soon. Before that, we worked continuously to improve our processes, increasing our quality, traceability and sustainability, and, consequently, efficiency every day”, explains the president of Abrapa, Alexandre Schenkel.
Brazil rises to global leadership in cotton
Schenkel highlights that, more than two decades ago, Brazil was the world's second largest importer of cotton. He attributes this change to intense work and investment in restructuring the activity, focusing on research, scientific development, professionalism and cooperation. Furthermore, he considers the milestone a source of pride for Brazilian producers and citizens.
Miguel Faus, president of Anea, emphasizes the uncertainty regarding Brazil's global leadership next year. Mentioning the expected increase in the American harvest, which could surpass that of the previous year. However, he highlights that the podium reflects years of effort from the entire sector, including producers, exporters and the logistics chain. Finally, he recognizes that the goal was achieved ahead of schedule, with the failure of the American harvest significantly influencing the result.
Source: Leonardo Gottems | agrolink
