Brazil is keen to increase the supply of cotton in the textile sector of Bangladesh by ensuring continuity and sustainability through strategic partnerships in Asia.
Recently Cotton Brazil, an international market development program for Brazilian cotton, certified by the Brazilian Cotton Growers Association (ABRAPA) said this at a sellers’ mission event in the capital.
The Brazilian business mission visited Bangladesh and met the officials of BTMA, BGMEA, Ministry of Industries, Cotton Development Board, and some prominent textile millers including Noman Group, MAS Group, NRG Group, ISRAQ Group, Viyellatex Group, Syed Group and Salma Group on June 14 in a hotel in the capital.
They disclosed their aim to promote sustainability and also demonstrate Brazil as a reliable partner of high-quality and traceable cotton.
The event agenda also focused on Cotton Brazil’s commitment to ensuring short-term, medium, and long-term business continuity through its promotion of Brazilian cotton export.
However, they will also continue to initiate market awareness for the quality, traceability, and sustainability of Brazilian cotton.
At the event, they discussed that the rising price of cotton has impacted Asian garment manufacturers and the textile industry is facing a lack of supply due to the top producers’ diminishing yields of cotton last year.
They also said that to overcome the cotton shortage, the demand for Brazilian cotton has increased making it the fourth largest cotton producer and the second-largest exporter in the global market.
Leveraging cutting-edge agricultural technology and non-irrigation farming practice, the South American country has increased its cotton production to three million tons in 2019-20 from 1.3 million tons in 2015-16.
According to Cotton Brazil, they have supplied 166 thousand tons of cotton to Bangladesh as of April 2022.
ABRAPA estimates that Brazil is yielding cotton in an area of about 1.58 million hectares, a 15% more than in 2021.
They also forecasted the production of cotton will register a growth of 20% in 2022 to 2.82 million tons, marking the second-best season for Brazilian cotton in history.
Moreover, Brazil has shipped 1.5 million tons from August 2021 to April 2022 and is projecting the total shipments to be 1.90 million tons for the next cycle.
Offering a sustainable source of cotton export, the country’s cotton is certified by the ABR program (Responsible Brazilian Cotton) and licensed by the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), a non-profit group that promotes sustainable farming practices and cotton production globally.
Marcelo Duarte Monteiro, Director of International Relations of ABRAPA said that while the world is facing a supply-chain crisis and a shortage of cotton globally, Brazil continues to foster business, maintaining its relationship strategies and assuring cotton supply.
Cotton Brazil seeks to strengthen programs on sustainability, quality and traceability and cater to shifting demands from international b2b consumers, said the speakers.
In the event, they explored four key pillars including quality and production, sustainability, traceability, and exports.
According to the BTMA, Bangladesh annually spends $3.5 to $4 billion on importing more than eight million bales of cotton, which is projected to increase by 9.31 million bales in 2022-23 FY.
Bangladesh imports cotton mainly from African countries, India, Australia and the US, while Brazil joined the importing country list in recent years.
