Cotton importers from eight countries visit farms and processing and lint analysis structures in Brazil

Brazil hosts, from July 26th to August 3rd, the eighth edition of Missão Compradores, a commercial exchange organized by the Brazilian Association of Cotton Producers (Abrapa) together with importers of the national lint. The objective of the initiative is to show, on site, the main stages of the Brazilian cotton production cycle – from planting to product traceability. In this year's edition, the delegation brings together 23 representatives from the textile industry from Bangladesh, China, South Korea, the United States, Honduras, India, Pakistan and Turkey.

Strengthening commercial relations with strategic importers is the focus of the mission, explains Abrapa's president, Alexandre Schenkel. “With each edition, we have the opportunity to showcase the responsible production model for Brazilian cotton, which has taken us from the second largest importer in the world to the current position of largest global exporter of the cotton fiber”, he considered.

In 2023, Brazil harvested 3,24 million tons of feather, remaining the third largest producer in the world. From August 2023 to July 2024, Brazilian exports are estimated at 2,72 million tons, according to data from Abrapa, which presides over the Sector Chamber of the Cotton and Derivatives Production Chain, of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) and from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). As a result, the country currently positions itself as the main global exporter.

At the moment, Brazilian cotton farms are at different stages of harvesting and processing. At the same time, the quality of the plume collected and to be sold is analyzed and classified. To give guests an accurate portrait of the diversity of Brazilian cotton farming, Abrapa will take them to eight Brazilian municipalities. The program includes visits to five cotton producing farms located in Lucas do Rio Verde and Campo Verde (MT), São Desidério (BA) and Cristalina (GO). On these rural properties, the delegation will also visit processing units.

The agenda also includes visits to the Cotton Growers Cooperative of Campo Verde (Cooperfibra), the Fiber Analysis Center of the Baiana Association of Cotton Producers (Abapa) and the Brazilian Reference Center for Cotton Analysis (CBRA), a structure managed by Abrapa .

The Buyers Mission is part of the actions of Cotton Brazil, an international promotion program that represents the entire cotton production sector on a global scale. Coordinated by Abrapa, it has a partnership with the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) and support from the National Association of Cotton Exporters (Anea).