Highlights from the November 2021 Cotton This Month include:

• World production is poised to show a 6% year-over-year increase vs 2020/21

• The surge is being led by three of the world's top five producers: USA, Brazil and Pakistan

• West Africa is poised to post an amazing 48% increase vs the prior season

While it would be naïve to say things are back to normal — only about 3% of people in less-developed countries have been vaccinated, far behind those in richer countries — there are some signs that the recovery is in full swing.

Three of the world’s top five producers (Brazil, Pakistan and the USA) are showing increases in production vs 2020/21 and while that won’t quite bring things back to ‘normal’, it is a sign that the industry’s recovery is still in full swing. Current projections show an increase of 6% in global production in 2021/22 vs the prior season.

Nowhere is that more evident than in West Africa, where all countries are reporting production increases, with the region being up nearly 48% vs the 2020/21 season.