Cotton experts’ panel predicted at the recent Supima Harvest Symposium predicted, demand for the fiber will continue to remain high even as the market will face supply chain, pricing and availability issues. Speakers also forecast the ongoing strong demand for cotton home textiles products without appreciable changes in the global availability. Demand for premium extra-long staple cotton will be especially strong, they added.

Global demand for cotton has recovered to highest levels in history, said Jody Campiche, Vice President -Economics and Policy Analysis, National Cotton Council Even though fewer planting acres in 2021 still produced a higher yield, the availability of US cotton is very limited with low stock levels coming into the New Year, she added.

World’s second largest cotton grower India, produced about the same amount it had previous year, the crop in China – the largest grower – was significantly lower, Campiche added. Pakistan, the fourth largest grower, had larger crop in 2021 but that comes after five years of decline and its yield last year is just getting back to earlier levels.

Last year, Supima produced 350,000 bales of cotton against 800,000 produced four years ago. Marc Lewkowitz, President and CEO, Supima said it will produced similar number of bales in 2022 with maybe a little increase in plants. Joe Dixon, Chief Operating Officer, J Hilburn said, all above factors are causing end users – retailers and manufacturers of home and apparel products made of cotton, to plan better and anticipate potential surprises. Yet, price issues will continue to persist, he added.

All three panelists agreed that even as cotton prices continue at their higher levels, the fiber will not lose its market share to synthetic products as happened the last time prices spiked in 2010-2011.