![[Skip to navigation]](../img/transparent.gif){kind=small}
Cotton - production & trade
Cotton is big business with world production estimated at around 20 million tonnes. It is a major crop and the most popular fabric for clothing and textiles. The majority is produced by China, America, the Central Asian Republics, India, Pakistan, Brazil and Egypt.
Cultivation and harvesting
Cotton can grow at altitudes of 1000 m in India and is planted in late spring, when there is little risk of frost. It takes about 100 days for the plants to mature and produce fruits. Harvesting is a continuous process, as the plants flower and fruit at different times. When the fruits, or bolls, are mature, they burst to reveal masses of soft white fibres attached to seeds. These hair-like fibres are almost 90% cellulose. The bolls also contain shorter, fuzzy fibres known as linters. They are used industrially for making water-soluble polymers and paper
Cotton fibres are made into a wide variety of textiles ranging from lightweight voiles, lawns, gauzes and laces to heavy-duty sailcloths, thick damasks and towels. These textiles are vital for everyday use in clothing, home furnishing and in industry globally. South Asia has a rich tradition of cotton fabrics from different areas used for different purposes
The fuzz that is not removed during ginning is later cut to provide linters, used in felts, upholstery, mattresses, twine, wicks, carpets, surgical cotton, cotton wool and in chemical industries for rayon, plastics, lacquers, paper, photographic films, cellulose explosives and even sausage skins.
Other important by-products of cotton production are oils from cottonseed. This semi-drying, edible oil is used for salad or cooking oil and a non-oil residue is manufactured into a cotton-cake for animal feed.
Processing
Most of the seeds are separated from the fibres by a mechanical process known as ginning and are sewn together in bales. These are then shipped to textile spinning and weaving mills for thread and fabric production. |
| Image: Balls of spun cotton yarn ready for weaving. |
Other important by-products of cotton production are oils from cottonseed. This semi-drying, edible oil is used for salad or cooking oil and a non-oil residue is manufactured into a cotton-cake for animal feed.
