Browse Data and Analysis

Turkiye’s cotton production forecast for marketing year (MY) 2022/23 is revised higher to nearly 1.1 million metric tons (MMT) (4.94 million bales), based on increase in cotton area harvested and ideal weather conditions throughout the growing season.

Irrigation water limitations in the Guadalquivir basin resulted in lower area planted to cotton for MY 2022/23 and a significant drop in yields. Cotton production has also been negatively affected by pest incidence. Industry sources argue that Spanish farmers should be eligible for cotton specific support despite the reduction in yields.

Attractive cotton prices, good yields, and favorable weather conditions spurred Turkish farmers to plant more cotton earlier this spring. Owing to a larger than expected increase in cotton plantings, production in marketing year (MY) 2022/23 is forecast higher at 950,000 metric tons (MT).

U.S. exporters can find ample opportunities in the Iberian Peninsula. Spain is the third-largest European Union (EU) destination for U.S. agricultural products, with Portugal ranking 11th. In 2021, the United States exported $1.6 billion of agricultural products to Spain, or 15 percent of total U.S. agricultural exports to the EU. The United States held a 4 percent market share of Spain’s agricultural imports and 2 percent market share in Portugal, behind other EU member states as a group and Brazil.

The 2021 U.S. Agricultural Export Yearbook provides a statistical summary of U.S. agricultural commodity exports to the world.

On March 31, 2022, the European Commission (EC) approved three genetically engineered (GE) crops (1 soybean, 1 rapeseed, and 1 cotton) and renewed the authorization for 1 cotton crop for food and feed imports. The three authorizations and one renewal were published in the European Union’s Official Journal on April 4 and 7, 2022, and they remain valid for 10 years.

Turkey’s cotton production in marketing year (MY) 2022/23 is forecast to increase to 925,000 metric tons (MT) (4.2 million bales) based on the assumption that farmers will plant more cotton in response to strong cotton prices. Growing demand for textiles and apparel is expected to push MY 2022/23 cotton consumption higher to 1.9 million MT (8.7 million bales).

The drought in Andalucía is anticipated to drive down area planted to cotton in Spain in MY2022/23. However, cotton crop area is highly inelastic given the few alternative crops available, and the fact that a significant part of the CAP payment to cotton continues to be linked to production partially offsets the potential area reduction.

Greece’s MY 2021/22 cotton production is estimated at 1.35 million 480 lb. bales, down 3.6 percent from the previous season due to a decrease in area planted. Greece is a major cotton exporter. Turkey was the main destination in MY 2020/21, representing 50.1 percent of total exports.