
According to cotton producers in South America, Brazil is expected to take the lead in cotton exports and leave behind the USA in 2023 with an increase in planted area.
Brazil is the second highest exporter of cotton after the United States and the fourth highest producer of cotton in the world after China, India and the United States.
Brazilian association Abrapa stated that Brazil recorded 1.66 million hectares of cotton sowing which is roughly 1.3 per cent more than the previous year, while on the other hand, the United States decreased by about 30 per cent in cotton sowing, which could push the South American nation to leadership position in global exporting.
Analyst David Silbiger said,”It is too early to quantify how much cotton area the US will actually lose, but it is clear that this crop is already at a disadvantage to competitors such as corn, soybeans, peanuts, rice and wheat.”
Brazilian association Abrapa expects Brazil to increase its cotton shipments by 22 per cent to 2.2 million tonnes next year from nearly record output of 2.95 million tonnes while Julio Cezar Busato, Head of Abrapa recounted that, “We will soon be the world’s largest exporters, maybe already next year.“