Bahia concludes 2023-24 cotton harvest

The cotton harvest in Bahia for the 2023/2024 crop was officially completed last week. The total area planted in the state was 345.431 hectares, of which 247.609 hectares were dryland and 97.821 hectares were irrigated. The harvest, which began in May, was mainly concentrated in the West region, which accounted for 98% of the planted area, with 339.721 hectares. The Southwest of the state contributed with 5.710 hectares, mostly in dryland areas.

At the end of the harvest, the average productivity was 325,45 arrobas of seed cotton per hectare, slightly lower than the 330,8 arrobas per hectare of the previous harvest, but still above expectations, considering the unforeseen weather conditions faced by producers. Luiz Carlos Bergamaschi, president of the Bahian Cotton Producers Association (Abapa), detailed the difficulties and the results achieved.

 “At the beginning of the sowing season, we faced irregular rainfall due to the El Niño phenomenon, which brought uncertainty. However, with the regularization of rainfall in the following months, the development of the crop was favored. Our initial expectation was 312 arrobas per hectare in the dryland areas, but we achieved 316 arrobas per hectare, in addition to 348 arrobas per hectare in the irrigated areas. These results are the result of good practices adopted by producers, ensuring the quality of Bahian cotton.”

The West region recorded a 10,7% increase in planted area compared to the previous harvest, which totaled 312,5 thousand hectares. For the next harvest, 2024/2025, a 10,5% growth is expected, reaching 380 thousand hectares planted. Of the total fiber harvested in this harvest, approximately 75% has already undergone processing, and approximately 70% has already been analyzed at the Abapa Fiber Analysis Center.

 Proper management - With the end of the harvest, producers are now focusing on off-season activities, following the guidelines established by the Bahia Agricultural Defense Agency (Adab). The sanitary break period, which began on September 20 and runs until November 30, requires the elimination of crop residues and tigueras plants in areas rotated with cotton, soybeans, corn and other crops. These measures are essential for controlling the boll weevil, one of the main pests of the crop.