Turkish Cotton Resurging
24 February 2006 Cotton planting is on the rise in Turkey as farmers come off of disappointing seasons with alternative crops such as maize, reports the United States Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agriculture Service (USDA-FAS).
Part of the rededication to cotton growing consists of finding ways to make the domestic crop more competitive with international supplies. USDA-FAS reports that the number of cotton harvesters in the country is expected to double in 2006 to reach 260, which will reduce the dependency on hand-picking and decrease production costs. Also, several large co-ops (including Antbirlik and Taris) are dedicating efforts to produce bio-diesel in order to reduce fuel costs.
The government of Turkey is behind the reinvestment in cotton as well, as it announced a 40% increase in its bonus for per-kilo production of seed cotton. This incentive is expected to lure even more farmers back to cotton.
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