[pageLogInLogOut]

#Raw Materials

The evolving landscape of cotton planting decisions in 2025/26

Right now, cotton farmers in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres are facing a daunting task: how to make critical planting decisions during a time of extreme uncertainty.


Growers in the Northern Hemisphere, particularly in the United States, India, and China, face a complex set of factors influencing their cotton planting decisions. Climate variability and water availability play a crucial role, as increasing unpredictability in weather patterns — including prolonged droughts, and excessive rainfall — necessitate a reliance on advanced climate models to determine optimal planting windows. Water availability remains a pressing concern, especially in water-stressed regions such as Texas in the USA and Gujarat in India.

In the Southern Hemisphere, cotton planting cycles differ, with major decisions occurring from September to December. Expanding arable land in Brazil offers a distinct advantage, as unlike the U.S. and India, where farmland is often limited, Brazil has been able to increase cotton acreage in the Cerrado region, utilizing degraded pastureland for high-yield cotton production. Favorable climate conditions provide another benefit, as Brazil’s well-defined wet and dry seasons reduce the risks of excessive rain during harvesting. In contrast, Australia faces water allocation restrictions, and Argentina deals with erratic weather patterns.

Price Projections

The Secretariat’s current price forecast of the season-average A index for 2024/25 ranges from 92.00 cents to 97.00 cents, with a midpoint at 94.00 cents per pound.

For the most up-to-date statistics, please refer to the Data Dashboard. It is updated with new data constantly, and that new information is immediately reflected on the Dashboard, making it a valuable, up-to-date resource all month long. You can view a video tutorial on how to use the ICAC Data Dashboard on the ICAC’s YouTube page here. * Please note: At press time, the Data Dashboard is unavailable. It will be restored as soon as possible.

Please note that the cotton balance sheets have been moved to the ICAC Data Dashboard. This ensures that the season balance sheets are always up-to-date and available whenever you need them. This also helps to reduce errors because the data is compiled directly from our database. They are included in this PDF report, but we strongly encourage users to obtain all data from the Dashboard.



More News from International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC)

#Raw Materials

Global production expected to decline in 2026/27 as policy shifts and weak demand reshape trade

Early projections for the 2026/27 season indicate that global cotton lint production will decline by 4% to 24.9 million tonnes, while world consumption is expected to remain stable at approximately 25 million tonnes, according to the April 2026 issue of Cotton This Month.

#Raw Materials

The 83rd Plenary Meeting: Reports from the ICAC Secretariat

Every year, one of the most anticipated sessions at the International Cotton Advisory Committee's (ICAC) Plenary Meeting is the Reports from the Secretariat — and the 83rd edition in Bremen, Germany, did not disappoint.

#Raw Materials

ICAC projects slight decline in production, relative stability for consumption

Global cotton production is projected to decline by 4% in the 2026/27 season to 24.8 million tonnes, while consumption is expected to remain relatively steady at 25.0 million tonnes, according to the March 2026 edition of Cotton This Month.

#Europe

ICAC to support European Commission on pending PEF legislation

The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) is proud to announce that it has been included as a member of the European Commission’s Technical Advisory Board (TAB) on the Product Environmental Footprint methodology. The Commission developed the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) to assess and communicate the life cycle environmental performance of products and organizations.

More News on Raw Materials

#Raw Materials

New study shows low environmental impact by Cotton made in Africa Organic Cotton from Tanzania

Today, the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) is announcing the results of a comprehensive life-cycle analysis (LCA) for cotton produced in Tanzania under the Cotton made in Africa Organic (CmiA Organic) standard. The study emphasises the small ecological footprint of CmiA Organic verified cotton. This can largely be traced back to the absence of synthetic pesticides, artificial fertilisers, and artificial irrigation. Consequently, CmiA Organic cotton can help the textile industry meet regulatory requirements as well as science-based targets. The results also show that the consequences of climate change threaten the livelihoods of these cotton farmers, even though the type of agriculture they practise barely contributes to climate change.

#Raw Materials

Better Cotton Initiative strengthens regenerative focus in standard update

The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) has strengthened the regenerative focus of its field-level standard with the launch of a new version of its Principles & Criteria (P&C), which marks the next step in the organisation’s journey to becoming a regenerative standards system.

#Raw Materials

Textile Exchange publishes cotton Life Cycle Assessment study to strengthen impact data

Textile Exchange has published the first in a series of seven Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies designed to improve the quality and robustness of environmental impact data for raw material production across the fashion, textile, and apparel industry. The first LCA study focuses on cotton and addresses critical data gaps and methodology variability through new high-quality data across key producing countries. The study includes organic, regenerative, recycled, and country averages for conventional cotton production systems, providing a clearer picture of the associated environmental impact.

#Raw Materials

Fashion for Good mobilises industry to adopt mass balance attribution and accelerate decarbonisation

Fashion for Good launches today the Mass Balance Demonstrator project, a collaborative industry initiative to implement and scale the mass balance attribution (MBA) chain-of-custody model for biomass-attributed PET in textile applications. The project represents a concrete step toward accelerating brand-driven decarbonisation across the apparel value chain.

Latest News

#Techtextil 2026

AI, Start-ups, Research: Techtextil and Texprocess bring together players in the textile industry

From start-ups to universities and research institutes: at Techtextil and Texprocess, the world’s leading innovation trade fairs in Frankfurt am Main, exhibitors present future-oriented concepts for the global textile industry. With the international Campus & Research area, a strong participation from start-ups and the latest AI applications for textile processing, both trade fairs showcase current developments in the textile industry. By bringing together innovation, research and application, they enable new partnerships across the textile value chain.

#Techtextil 2026

IVGT joint stand brings innovation and networking to Techtextil 2026

At Techtextil 2026 and the parallel Texprocess 2026, key transformation topics such as artificial intelligence, digitalisation, sustainability, recycling and the circular economy will be reflected across the show. Against this backdrop, the IVGT, together with 16 member companies, will present its joint stand in Hall 12.1 (Stand D62) as a platform for exchange and networking.

#Man-Made Fibers

Indorama Ventures supports Southeast Asia’s textile customers with reliable regional supply and global innovative portfolio

Indorama Ventures, one of the leading global polyester fiber and filament yarn suppliers globally, will participate in Indo Intertex 2026 in Jakarta this April, making its diverse global portfolio available to apparel, home textile, and hygiene customers across Southeast Asia.

#Man-Made Fibers

Selenis and Kintra Fibers partner to scale 100% bio-based synthetic fiber technology

Selenis, a leading global specialty polyester manufacturer, today announced a strategic manufacturing partnership with materials science company Kintra Fibers to scale Kintra’s patented fiber-grade PBS resin - a 100% bio-based and biodegradable material designed for textile applications.

TOP