The Australian cotton industry consensus estimate of Australian cotton production for the 2005/06 crop is 598,000 tonnes (2.634 million [227 kg] bales), down 9 per cent on the previous year's 658,000 tonnes.
The industry estimate of planted cotton area was 335,000 hectares which resulted in an average Australian lint yield for 2005/06 of 1,785 kilograms (7.86 [227 kg] bales) per hectare, a slight decrease on last year's world record yields.
2006/2007 Crop Forecast: - The main limiting factor to the coming year's cotton production continues to be drought and increased lack of available water for irrigation.
The Australian Cotton Industry Council (the Australian cotton industry's peak body) estimates planting of 200,000 to 270,000 hectares resulting in estimated production of 363,000 to 490,000 tonnes (1.6 to 2.1 million [227 kg] bales) harvested.
Exports: - The Australian cotton growing industry is heavily reliant on exports, with up to 95 per cent of annual production sold on the world market.
For 2005/06, it is estimated a total of 650,000 tonnes of raw cotton, valued at around $AUD1.1 billion, was exported. The principal export markets for Australian cotton in 2005/06 were China, Indonesia, Thailand, the Republic of Korea and Japan.
Click here to view more:
International Cotton Advisory Committee
marketing@alchempro.com
