Turkish Cotton Up 20 Percent
30 May 2006 The cotton crop in Turkey is expected to be up 20% to 900,000 metric tons (MT) on 700,000 hectares (Ha) in 2006. Farmers’ dissatisfaction with the return of alternative crops such as maize played a major role in increase of cotton planting, reports the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agriculture Service (USDA-FAS).
Most of Turkey’s cotton is planted between mid-March and mid-May and harvested from mid-August through November. The crop is grown in three main areas: the Aegean region, Cukurova, and Southeastern Anatolia. Small amounts of cotton also are produced around Antalya and Antakya. Aegean cotton generally is considered to be the best quality and is preferred by the local textile industry. Aegean cotton is longer (1 1/8-inch) than cotton from Cukurova (1 3/32-inch) and GAP (1 5/32) regions. Quality and properties of the cotton have improved significantly in the GAP region due to improved quality of seeds.
It is also reported that large cooperatives (Cukobirlik, Antbirlik, Taris) have plans to produce bio-diesel from cottonseed to cut fuel costs, as the country is experiencing a rapid movement from handpicking to the use of modern equipment, particularly cotton pickers.
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