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World cotton production for 1998/99 is forecast at 84.2 million 480-pound bales, down 8 percent from the 1997/98 crop. World area is forecast to decrease 2 percent, while yield is down 6 percent from a year ago. The world's largest cotton producers, the United States and China, are projected to account for 38 percent of global production, down from 44 percent last year. However, U. S. output accounts for most of the decline, falling from 21 percent last year to only 16 percent for 1998/99. The top seven producers of 1998/99, including the United States and China, are expected to contribute 76 percent of world cotton output compared with 78 percent in 1997/98.
Of the seven major producers, only India, Pakistan, and Australia are forecast to exceed last year's output level. Production in the other major producers was down from last year because of insect damage, disease, untimely cool temperatures, drought, and/or floods. This report highlights the top seven cotton producing nations which includes the United States, China, India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, and Australia. These countries are estimated to produce 64.4 million bales of cotton this season and are ranked based on estimated production for 1998/99.
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Last modified: Monday, December 14, 1998