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Production
Estimates and Crop Assessment Division |
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Production
Estimates and Crop Assessment Division |
October 25, 2002
Heavy rainfall along the western coastline of Turkey raises quality concerns for cotton harvested within the Izmir region bordering the Aegean Sea (see figure below). The Izmir cotton region produces approximately 30 percent of Turkey’s total cotton production, while other major cotton regions have not received above average rainfall. Approximately 40 percent of the cotton has been picked within the Izmir region, 75 percent picked in the Cukurova region, and 45 percent picked in Southeastern Anatolia. The remaining cotton in the fields will be picked within the next 30 days.
Turkey’s National Cotton Advisory Board (NCAB) forecasted 2002/03 production at nearly 4.21 million bales on 721,077 hectares. These estimates are a record cotton crop, but USDA cotton production estimates are more conservative at 4.1 million bales on 710,000 hectares (attaché report). Cotton area increased this year due to farmer dissatisfaction with 2001 prices and the government’s pledge to provide premium payments in 2002. In addition, excessive rains during November and December 2001 caused some farmers to forego a winter wheat crop and plant cotton in the spring. The same heavy winter rains in 2001-2002 also increased water in the reservoirs for irrigating this year’s cotton crop.
Harvested cotton area was estimated at approximately the same level as last year for all four major cotton regions (cotton area by region), but area has been increasing in southeastern Turkey region for the past eight years after the inauguration of the Ataturk Dam and Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) in 1994. Cotton area is expected to increase in southeastern Turkey for the next ten years as more land is opened to irrigation by the GAP project. A comparison of irrigated cotton area within the Harran Plain during 1993 and 2002 is shown below.
Southeastern Anatolia Becomes a Major Cotton Producing Region for Turkey
Turkey’s Cotton Production Lowered Due to Excessive Rains
Turkey’s Estimated Cotton Production Nears Record Levels
Photos of Ataturk Dam and Harran Plain
Cotton Update (10/4/02)
Cotton Annual Report (6/6/02)
Cotton Update (1/24/02)
