Cotton Area In Brazil’s Biggest Cotton Producing State Up 16.8%

Cotton acreage in Mato Grosso, the biggest cotton producing state in Brazil has been projected at 1.41 million hectares in the 2023-24 cotton season, up 16.84 percent compared to the earlier season.

“This increase was driven by the fibre’s greater competitiveness in relation to other crops, especially corn,” Mato Grosso Institute of Agricultural Economics said in its weekly cotton bulletin.

“As a result, producers with the infrastructure to cultivate the fibre were encouraged to expand their areas, mainly due to the decrease in production costs this season,” the institute added.

With regard to productivity, the projection is 284.25 pounds per hectare, a reduction of 8.64 percent over the previous season, impacted by unfavourable weather conditions.

The institute estimated seed cotton production at 5.99 million tons, a growth of 6.74 percent as against the previous season and 2.85 percent above the earlier estimate.

The institute estimated cotton production at 2.49 million tons in the 2023-24 season in the state, which accounts for 91 percent of Brazil’s cotton production.