Uzbekistan: Cotton Crop Exceeds Targets

Avatar for Matt Hopkins By Scott C. Lucas|3 December 2007

Preliminary official from the government statements, Uzbek farmers harvested a total of 3.73 MMT of cotton, 3.6% higher than the production target. However, some independent observers believe the real harvested seed cotton number is closer to 3.65 MMT. Based on estimated seed cotton output, USDA-FAS forecasts Uzbekistan’s 2007/08 lint production at 5.5 million bales.

Uzbekistan’s cotton exports are forecast to decrease to 4.1 million bales from 4.5 million bales in 2006/07. As in the previous two years, buyers of Uzbek cotton were mostly from China, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Russia.

According to trade sources, Uzbek exporters are planning to conclude contracts directly with Chinese companies for the export of 200,000 tons of lint from this year’s crop.