THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
Related Articles
Press release…
Struggle to enhance quality in cotton production…
Muzaffer Turgut Kayhan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Better Cotton Practices Association (IPUD), said that turning towards quality products instead of increasing the amount of production in cotton will ramp up the price and in this way, the country will provide more income from this product.
Emphasising that Türkiye’s cotton production per decare is in a very good place in the world ranking, Kayhan said, “We have to turn to quality products instead of production quantity. We should focus on fibre quality. This is the area where we can improve the price. We have to raise the quality.”
Our difference should be quality!
Making an assessment as the cotton harvest season comes to an end, Kayhan drew attention to the need to enhance the quality in cotton production. Saying that Turkish cotton is one of the most efficient cotton in the world, Kayhan explained, “In a period of horizontal pricing globally, we have to show our difference not from yield but from quality. The textile sector and cotton production are directly proportional and that global textile and fashion brands had an intensive stock period to meet the increasing demand after the pandemic. However, this period has ended and demand has decreased accordingly. For this reason, while the price maintained its horizontal level globally, the producer was in a difficult situation due to the inflation and exchange rate not rising in our country.”
Value-added exports should be made…
Indicating that cotton should be directed to value-added production, Kayhan noted, “Due to the crisis in our textile sector and the exchange rate-based problems in exports, cotton price and purchase have slowed down.”
Pointing out that government incentives are very important, Kayhan added, “The farmer puts all his assets in the field at the beginning of the season for production and tries to earn at harvest time. All kinds of problems that occur in this process mean that the farmer suffers losses. For this, government incentives are very valuable. In addition to the support for cotton, which is a strategic product, the state should also provide incentives for modern agricultural production, for example for the drip system.”
For borderline carbon application and quality product: Better Cotton
Highlighting that they are working for the transformation of Turkish cotton at the point of Better Cotton, i.e. Good Cotton Practices, Kayhan concluded, “As IPUD, we have grown 10 times in 10 years. Our 270 farmers have increased to 2700. Our Better Cotton certified product rate among all cotton produced is around 14 percent. Our goal is to make this 100 percent. Brazil did it, we can do it too. When the European Green Deal and the carbon tax starts at the door, textile companies will want to produce with Better Cotton certification. This transformation will inevitably happen. We aim to raise the Better Cotton certified production, which is 14 percent today, to 100 percent.”
