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WORLD AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION
SEPTEMBER 1997
Image: Cotton Production
Image: Cotton Area
Image: Cotton Yield
Image: Turkish Cotton: Area, Yield
and Production Data
Cotton production in Turkey for 1997/98 is forecast at 3.5 million bales, down 0.1 million or 3 percent from 1996/97. The crop was planted about three weeks late due to cool spring weather, which has increased the possibility of another rain-hampered harvest similar to last season. During 1996/97, cotton output declined from a record 3.9 million bales produced in 1995/96, to 3.6 million due primarily to rainy weather during the harvest which resulted in a yield loss of approximately 7 percent and reduced fibre quality. The unfavorable harvest weather was compounded by a growing shortage of farm labor, resulting in a prolonged harvest period. Farmers are likely to face a labor shortage again this year.
Turkish cotton is grown in three main regions: the Aegean, Cukurova, and southeastern Anatolia. Small amounts of cotton also are produced around Antalya. The Aegean region is the largest growing area, producing an average of 1.4 million bales annually. Aegean cotton generally is considered to be the best quality and is preferred for its longer staple length by the local textile industry.
Cukurova is located on Turkey's eastern Mediterranean coast and is characterized by large farms and hot, dry summer weather. Irrigation has made cotton planting profitable, but ecological problems created by excessive use of chemicals over the years and competition from other crops, especially corn, have caused cotton planting in the region to decline in recent years.
In southeastern Anatolia, cotton production is expected to expand significantly as a result of the Southeastern Anatolian Project (GAP), a rural and urban development project geared toward improving overall living standards in the southeastern part of Turkey. The GAP consists of a series of dams, power stations, tunnels, and canals designed to generate electricity and irrigate the plains surrounding the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The goal is to irrigate of 1.7 million hectares when completed. Initially, the project was expected to be finished by 2005, but government officials now concede that completion is unlikely before 2010. Currently about 50,000 hectares are irrigated as a direct result of the GAP, 80 percent of which is planted in cotton.
Agriculture and its related industries such as the textile mills are important to the Turkish economy since more than 40 percent of the population lives in rural areas and earn the bulk of their income from farming and related activities. As a result, agriculture and rural development are top priorities for the government. The massive investments in the GAP are the best example of the Turkish government commitment to agricultural development.
Cotton generally is planted between mid-March and mid-May and the harvest usually begins in mid-August and continues through November. The most popular variety in the Aegean region is "Nazilli 84"; in Cukurova "Carolina Queen" and "Delta pine "; and, "Stone Mill" in the Southeast Anatolia.
Most of Turkey's estimated 500 gins are privately owned with owners generally purchasing seed cotton from growers, unlike the United States where the grower maintains ownership throughout the ginning process. As a result, gins play an important role in domestic marketing channels. Nearly all gins in the Aegean region are roller gins, more suitable for the longer staple cotton. About half the gins in Cukurova and the Southeast are roller gins with the remainder being saw gins suitable for upland cotton or the shorter staple length cotton. The ginning rate averages 42 percent in the Aegean and 39 percent in Cukurova and the Southeast. Lint generally is graded at the gin and certified by government-regulated inspectors using a green card system similar to the system used in the United States. Domestic regulations require that all locally produced cotton be ginned before the end of April.
Each year the Turkish Government announces seed cotton support prices prior to harvest at a level below international prices. Domestic supply and demand conditions determine market prices. The government faces a dilemma of setting prices sufficiently high to encourage production but not excessively high so that the cost of raw materials puts the Turkish textile industry at a competitive disadvantage to textile industries of other nations.
For more information contact Ron Roberson,
Cotton Chairperson
Phone: (202) 720-0879
E-mail: roberson@fas.usda.gov
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