Cotton Production by Country 2022

Cotton is one of the most important crops in the world. White, fluffy staple fiber with a high cellulose content (about 87-90 percent ). Cotton has been cultivated for over 6,000 years for both fiber and food.

Cotton items are generally affordable since the crop is abundant and inexpensively produced. In addition to manufacturing clothes, bedding, and towels, cotton fibers may also be used to make paper and rope and U.S. money and biofuel.

About 2.5% of the world’s arable land is used to grow cotton. Staple length is used to classify cotton fibers into three groups: short, long, and very long.

Denim pants, flannels, and other apparel items are made from short-staple cotton fibers. Sheets and towels are often made from long-staple fibers, which offer a softer, silkier feel.

Cotton Production

Cotton, in contrast to synthetic fibers like rayon and polyester, is a natural product, and the cotton industry is continually working to ensure its production is environmentally friendly and fair.

There has been a dramatic increase in the quantity of cotton grown in a given area since 1980 when cotton was first introduced. Many subtropical regions of the globe have cotton crops that have been cultivated separately.

In tropical temperatures, cotton crops grow considerably bigger and tree-like, but they are much smaller and shrub-like in temperate settings.

Cotton fiber and output may vary greatly depending on the weather. Dry, warm harvest seasons and abundant rainfall or irrigation provide the best-quality cotton.

Due to the limited ideal picking window (as soon as the bolls open), mechanized harvesting is preferred.

On the other hand, handpicking yields higher-quality cotton due to the ability to choose more ripe bolls and cleaner cotton, while mechanical methods suction-pick bolls, removing any dirt and debris in the process.

Cotton Growers Worldwide

The following countries are in the top 10 in the world for cotton production:

1. India – 6,188,000 tons
2. China – 6,178,318 tons
3. United States – 3,593,000 tons
4. Pakistan – 2,374,481 tons
5. Brazil – 1,412,227 tons
6. Uzbekistan – 1,106,700 tons
7. Australia – 885,100 tons
8. Turkey – 846,000 tons
9. Argentina – 327,000 tons
10. Greece – 308,000 tons

Cotton production in India, the world’s biggest producer, averages roughly 6,188,000 metric tonnes per year. Cotton cultivation thrives in India’s climate, especially in the country’s north. Cotton is grown in China at a yearly rate of around 6,178,318 tonnes.

About 7,500 textile factories in China produce cotton fabric worth billions of dollars each year. Cotton production in the United States ranks third in the world. An estimated 3,593,000 metric tonnes of cotton are grown in the United States each year.

Five states in the United States produce the most cotton: Texas, Georgia, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Alabama are the major producers.