Cotton News  
05.Oct.2020
Marketing year (MY) 2020/21 (August to July) harvested area for Mali, Senegal, and Burkina Faso is forecast to decrease 45 percent from the previous year to 738 hectares (HA) primarily due to lower harvested area in Mali, with many farmers stating that late rainfall and security challenges have led them to plant alternate crops or leave land fallow. MY 2020/21 total cotton production for all three countries is projected at 1.19 million bales assuming normal weather conditions and low pest pressure. MY 2020/21 and 2019/20 total exports are estimated at 1.14 million and 1.62 million bales on reduced export demand due to the COVID pandemic. All countries are forecast to hold higher stocks because of falling export demand, and storage capacity could become a challenge if more storage is needed.
Mali:
MY 2020/21 and MY 2019/20 stock are estimated to remain relatively high at 446,000 and 461,000 bales due to falling export demand related to COVID-19. The Compagnie Malienne pour le Developppement du textile (CMDT), Mali’s only cotton ginning mill, has very limited storage. To accommodate the surplus, the CMDT has rented additional storage space in ports across West Africa.
Senegal:
MY 2020/21 and MY 2019/20 stocks are forecast to remain relatively high at 9,000 and 7,000 bales (Cotton is stored in warehouse owned by SODEFITEX – the government of Senegal is the largest shareholder). SODEFITEX’s maximum storage capacity is estimated at 12,000 bales (2,500 MT).
Burkina Faso:
MY 2020/21 and MY 2019/20 stocks are projected at 150,000 and 140,000 bales due to declining exports. According to contacts, unsold cotton is currently being stored at port in Abidjan, Cotonou, and Lomé. If necessary, SOFITEX will store surplus in Burkina Faso in their own warehouses.
Others
USA:
MY 2020/21 and MY 2019/20 the stock are estimated of 7.2 million and 7.3 million bales by USDA WASDE, the warehouses is located at West, Southwest, Mid-South and Southeast of the USA.
India:
In India, two provinces like Maharashtra and M.P got badly affected by heavy rainfall, floods and water logging, many standing crops got damaged. In North Gujarat, the crop size is good and the plants are healthy.