Bahia is on track for a record cotton harvest.

Bahia is on track to end the 2025/26 harvest with the highest production of cotton of its history. With approximately 80% of the harvest completed, the expectation is to exceed 1 million tons, driven by productivity above the national average.

According to the president of the Bahia Cotton Producers Association (Abapa), Alessandra Zanotto, the cultivated area reached 417,898 hectares, with an estimated productivity of approximately 2,360 kilograms of cotton lint per hectare. This assessment was presented during a meeting of the Sectoral Chamber of the Cotton and Derivatives Production Chain in Brasília. "Expectations are good, and everything indicates that we will consolidate the best harvest in our history," she stated.

Crops still being harvested are showing signs of recovery, especially in irrigated areas. The average yield between rainfed and irrigated areas is close to 375 arrobas per hectare, equivalent to 2,362 kg/ha of cotton lint, and could reach close to 380 arrobas by the end of the cycle.

In the country, production is estimated at 4.14 million tons of cotton lint, cultivated on 1.99 million hectares. Despite the reduction in area compared to the previous harvest, average productivity increased to 2,076 kg/ha.

The increase in production also amplifies the logistical challenge. Abapa seeks to increase the volume exported through the Port of Salvador, reducing dependence on routes to Santos and bringing the flow closer to the producing regions of Bahia. "We need to advance in infrastructure, work that we have been doing institutionally and politically, and count on the participation of trading companies so that more cotton produced in Bahia is effectively shipped through our state," he added.