Tanzania cotton production is forecast to rise 33% in the marketing year beginning June 2021 to July 2022 compared with the prior year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said late Thursday.
Cotton production is expected to hit 500,000 480-pound (218 kilograms) bales in the current year, the USDA said in its June world agricultural production report.
The increase is attributed to good rain and more input provided to cotton farmers this year, it said.
Seasonal rainfall reduced last year’s production prospects due to extensive pest damage and widespread weed and waterlogging problems, the USDA said.
Tanzanian farmers grow conventional cotton and annual production is highly dependent on the availability of input for certified seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides, it said.
Tanzania plans to increase its cotton output to 500,000 metric tons a year by 2025, according to Gerald Kusaya, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture.
