​Bangladesh may increase cotton imports from Goiás

International trade relations are a flank in the strategy for growing cotton exports in Goiás and Brazil. Two days after receiving the Buyers Mission 2017, today, the 14th, it was the turn of the interim ambassador of Bangladesh, Nahida Rahman Shumoda, to meet with representatives of the Board and technical staff of the Goiana Cotton Producers Association (Agopa), to learn more about the production process of cotton farming in Goiás. The meeting also featured the national sustainability manager of the Brazilian Association of Cotton Producers (ABRAPA), Fernando Rati.

Bangladesh is Brazil's 10th largest cotton importer. With a small territory and a large population, the demand for fiber is high. “We are interested in increasing cotton imports from Goiás. We need to check issues related to the processing of local production and logistics issues”, listed the ambassador. The exhibition presented to the delegation from the South Asian country focused on the ABR-BCI sustainability programs, the traceability of cotton bales from Goiás and the innovations in cotton quality analyzes carried out by the Agopa laboratory.

Sustainability

In 2016, 81% of Brazilian cotton was certified by the Responsible Brazilian Cotton (ABR) program, and this percentage is expected to increase, as the certificate is a differentiator that opens doors to new global markets. The ABR has protocols aligned with the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) international certificate and, together, there are more than 200 items checked annually on each farm, with established criteria regarding environmental, social and labor issues.

For ambassador Nahida Rahman Shumoda, the opportunity to learn about the process of production, analysis and processing of feather was important to understand the market criteria and the differences that Goiás and Brazil have adopted to compete. The delegation went to a property in Goiatuba, to see a cotton plantation, its management and pest control plan.