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July 14, 2000
Cotton production for the outyear is estimated at 3.5 million bales, down from last year’s estimate of 3.675 million. The Government of Turkey’s National Cotton Advisory Board (NCAB) estimated 2000/01 production at nearly 3.4 million bales, but other sources believe the NCAB is on the low side.
The year-to-year decrease in production is largely attributed to reduction in area harvested from 719,300 hectares in 1999/2000 to 670,000 hectares in 2000/01. In addition, unusually rainy weather during May in the Aegean and Cukurova regions made replanting necessary for these fields (Figure 1). Most of Turkey’s cotton is planted between mid-March and mid-May and harvested from mid-August through November. The fields replanted in May are late and will be vulnerable to yield losses during the coming October rains.
Figure 1. Percent Normal of Precipitation (March 11 - July 10, 2000)
The cotton crop is grown in three main
areas: the Aegean region, Cukurova, and Souteastern Anatolia
regions; and small amounts of cotton also are produced around
Antalya and Antakya (Figures 2 and 3). Crop development is
reported to be excellent in most regions and higher yields are
expected, particularly in the southeast Anatolian region due to
improved seed quality.
Figure 2. Generalized Cotton Regions of Turkey (shaded)
Figure
3. Cotton Production in 1997
(Source: State Institute of Statistics, Republic of Turkey)
While cotton area is increasing in the Southeastern Anatolia as a result of the Southeastern Anatolian Project (GAP), it is decreasing in the Cukurova and Aegean regions, as low cotton returns during the past several years have encouraged farmers to shift to a corn-wheat rotation or to horticultural production. Given the slow pace of expansion of irrigation infrastructure for the GAP, increases in area from GAP are not expected to offset declining cotton area within the traditional growing areas. Completion of the GAP is scheduled for 2010, and it will consist of a series of hydroelectric dams and a total of 1.7 million hectares of irrigation schemes. Currently, 140,00 hectares on the Harran plain are irrigated by the Ataturk Dam of which ninety percent are planted cotton (Figure 4).
Figure 4. Sanliurfa Irrigation Scheme within GAP (adapted from GAP)
Other Related Links
GAP Southeastern Anatolia Project
For more information, contact Curt Reynolds with the Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division on (202) 690-0134 or by e-mail at ReynoldsC@fas.usda.gov.
