Turkey which was a leading producer of cotton in the past is now seeing its production fall substantially while consumption is rising, according to delegates who attended a recent Cotton Trade Information Summitt' at Kahramanmaras Chamber of Trade and Industry.

Ertugrul Tanriverdi, ICA Director and Vice President of Ensar Tekstil - a spinning company based in Turkey, said that cotton production in Turkey does not meet consumption: “Last year, our production was 1,800,000 bales and consumption was 5,600,000,” he explained. “If we calculate the difference in volume, it is about $1.5 billion dollars shortfall. We currently have just four Turkish firms who are members of the ICA. I believe we should definitely increase participation - if we do not participate on the ruling platform, we will not be a voice in the solution.”

Abdulkadir Kurtul, president of KASIAD, echoed Ertugrul’s message. He stated that Turkey and Kahramanmaras are in strong position in cotton and reminded delegates that, in the past, Turkey had a very important position in cotton production. “We really do not have any problem with consumption,” he said. “This shows our leadership in the textile business. But our country should be at a balance between production and consumption. The cotton is a strategic product to Turkey, therefore production problems must be solved if the voice of Turkish cotton producers is to be heard.”