Cotton seeds market in Southern Asia

Earlier Report Observations

Production of cotton seeds in Southern Asia reached 14 499 thousand tonnes in 2019, up from 13 228 thousand tonnes in 2018. After a moderate decline to 13 916 thousand tonnes in 2020, output stabilized near 14 050 thousand tonnes in 2021 before falling to 11 439 thousand tonnes in 2022. The market rebounded strongly in 2023, with production climbing to 13 966 thousand tonnes.

The sharp recovery in 2023 was supported by the introduction of new, higher-yielding cotton seed varieties. In January 2023, BASF SE expanded its FiberMax and Stoneville cotton seed portfolio with four new varieties featuring Axant Flex herbicide tolerance technology, which helps farmers improve weed control and crop productivity. Additionally, in December 2023, Corteva, Inc. launched two new high-yield cotton seed varieties for major growing regions. These product launches, alongside sustained demand for cotton fiber and established support frameworks like government subsidies and hybrid seed adoption, contributed to the increase in production volume.

Production cotton seeds in Southern Asia

In kind, 2017-2020, K t

Top producers of cotton seeds, 2017-2020

World map of production of cotton seeds, 2017-2020

In 2020, Southern Asia produced 13,916 thousand tons of cotton seeds, marking a moderate decline of 4.0% compared to the previous year. Looking at the broader period from 2017 to 2020, production decreased by 12.3%, which translates to an annualized rate of 4.3%. The lowest production level was recorded in 2018 at 13,228 thousand tons, with the largest decline of 16.6% occurring that same year. In contrast, 2019 saw the largest increase in production, rising by 9.6%.

Annual dynamics of production in Southern Asia in kind, 2017-2020, K t

Exports cotton seeds from Southern Asia

Exports in kind, t

The data shows irregular changes, indicating a volatile market environment. The export volume reached its minimum in 2020 at just 6 tons, representing a sharp year-on-year decline of 99.8%. This contrasts sharply with the peak in 2019, when exports hit 2,715 tons, resulting in a 449-fold variation between these two years. The largest increase was recorded in 2019, surging by 890.4%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Southern Asia in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, three principal markets—the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, and the United States—collectively accounted for 12.0% of Southern Asia's total cotton seed exports in kind.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Southern Asia in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, K $ US

Volatility characterized the market behavior during these years. In 2020, cotton seed shipments from Southern Asia abroad amounted to 18 thousand US dollars, showing a sharp decline of 98.0% compared to the previous year. This was a significant drop from the peak in 2019, which reached 936 thousand US dollars, creating a 51-fold amplitude between these two years. The largest increase occurred in 2019, rising by 446.9%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Southern Asia in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Over the period 2017–2020, exports in value terms were distributed across a wide set of partner countries. Iraq accounted for 4.5% of exports, the United States for 4.3%, and Australia for 1.4%, with these three countries jointly representing just 10.3% of total flows.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Southern Asia in value, 2017-2020

Imports cotton seeds to Southern Asia

Imports in kind, t

There were noticeable fluctuations in market performance during the period. The lowest import volume occurred in 2017, while the highest was recorded in 2019, resulting in a peak-to-trough ratio of 5.6 times. In 2020, Southern Asia imported 1,431 tons of cotton seeds, which was 7.9% weaker than the previous year. The maximum value was recorded in 2019 at 1,554 tons, with the largest increase that year of 331.9%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Southern Asia in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, three principal markets—Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Greece—together accounted for 85.0% of total cotton seed imports in kind to Southern Asia.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Southern Asia in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

The volume of cotton seed imports to Southern Asia increased for the third consecutive year. In 2020, imports were recorded at 1,924 thousand US dollars, up by 43.4% from a year earlier. Over the period 2017-2020, imports increased by 578.7%, with a compound annual growth rate of 89.3%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Southern Asia in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

From 2017 to 2020, Turkey accounted for 38.2% of imports in value terms, Greece for 32.9%, and Azerbaijan for 10.7%, making these three countries the principal destinations, jointly accounting for 81.7% of total flows.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Southern Asia in value, 2017-2020