The increase in international demand for cotton has increased the interest of Brazilian producers in this crop in recent harvests. The National Supply Company (Conab) expects cotton exports to reach around 1.5 million tons in 2019, an increase of 60% on the amount shipped in the last harvest.
A record cotton harvest is expected for 2018/2019, with production estimated at 6 million tons, including lint and seed. This is a significant increase compared to the previous period, when 5 million tons were harvested. For lint alone, the total to be harvested could reach 2.6 million tons. The cotton seed harvest is expected to reach around 4 million tons in the current harvest.
The crop's good profitability has ensured the interest of farmers. Even with the high production cost due to the high technology used in cultivation, cotton presents a return of around 38.7% on the investment in planting the fiber, according to data from the Conab harvest bulletin released earlier this year.
Paraná
The favorable scenario also attracts interest in the cultivation of fiber in some old producing regions, such as Paraná. For the 2018/2019 period, estimates indicate that 700 hectares will be planted.
In the 1989/1990 harvest, the state was the country's leading producer, accounting for 50% of total production. However, that year, crops were decimated due to unfavorable weather conditions and low market prices for cotton, which led the state to abandon cotton cultivation for a few agricultural years.
