Cotton Production Prospects for the Next Decade

This report is based on studies conducted in Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Mali, Mexico, Pakistan, Tanzania and Uzbekistan. The studies systematically addressed the global problems facing cotton production and the significance of government policies in promoting efficiency and effectiveness in the cotton sub-sector. When the project was initiated, countries around the world were beginning to question the role of governments in economic activities. In 1990, the governments of most cotton producing countries were heavily involved in production and marketing cotton because of its economic and social importance. The study demonstrated that production aspects cannot be studied in isolation from other aspects of the cotton industry and related government policies. During the last four years, many countries have reduced or plan to reduce the role of government in economic decision-making in cotton. These movements toward greater private sector control of the cotton industry have been encouraged by international economic and financial organizations. The most common technical weaknesses revealed in the studies were in seed production and the development of varieties with the fiber attributes required by modern, high speed rotor and ring spinning mills, combined with high yield potential and ginning outturn and resistance to adversities which differ in different countries. Also, rising costs of inputs, in some cases coupled with import duties on agro-chemicals, without a commensurate increase in price has reduced the returns on cotton. The use of local, multi-disciplinary teams of consultants, some of whom are directly involved with policy making and cotton research, has been an important featureof the study. This report represents the culmination of this study, incorporating the findings of the country study teams, and the essentials of the discussion and final conclusions of an international workshop at which all study teams were represented.