The first edition of Cotton Brazil Outlook took place on January 21st as part of a series of virtual events organized by the Cotton Brazil initiative and led by Abrapa (Brazilian Cotton Growers Association), in partnership with Anea (Brazilian Cotton Shippers Association) and Apex-Brasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency). 

The meetings will present innovations by the Brazilian cotton industry to several buyer countries. In this first event, authorities and specialists from Brazil got together with Indian textile leaders who received valuable information about Brazilian cotton, including its intrinsic characteristics and data about the latest crop. 

In the coming weeks, the webinars will gather businesspeople from Vietnam, South Korea, Turkey, Bangladesh, Pakistan, China, Indonesia, and Thailand. The meetings seek to strengthen relationships between the Brazilian cotton sector and importers, all under the Cotton Brazil initiative launched in December 2020.  

Cotton Brazil manager Marcelo Duarte, who also runs Abrapa’s office in Singapore, facilitated the exchanges during event, and Abrapa’s president, Júlio Cézar Busato, presented data showing increases in production and quality. 

The president of CITI (Confederation of Indian Textile Industry) J. Thulasidharan presented the current scenario of the sector and stressed the long–lasting relationship that exists between Brazil and India, especially around the cotton trade. “I am sure that the 1st Cotton Brazil Outlook will connect Brazilian players with the Indian textile industry to discuss exports, technology, sustainability, quality, and traceability”, he said, stating that the Brazilian lint holds an important share in the Indian market. 

Brazil and India sign official collaboration agreement 

Brazil’s ambassador to India, André Correa do Lago, also mentioned the worldwide importance of Brazilian cotton and its reputation in terms of quality and sustainability, as well as the 10-fold increase in the volume of exports to India in recent years. “India is the ninth largest buyer of Brazilian cotton, but we have enormous potential to increase these figures. We must work together to achieve this goal.” 

Following the ambassador’s remarks, the meeting proceeded with the long-awaited signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, a document entered by Abrapa and CITI formalizing the commitment to cooperate by the two associations. The document reinforces the work of the Brazilian Association and of the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry to create new opportunities and positive scenarios for both countries. 

The webinar continued with presentations by Atul Ganatra, President of the Cotton Association of India; Júlio Cézar Busato, President of Abrapa; Edson Mizoguchi, Abrapa’s Quality Manager; Carlos Moresco, Brazilian cotton grower; Henrique Snitcovski, President of Anea; Alan McClay, BCI CEO; and Marcelo Duarte, Director of International Relations at Abrapa. 

Videos shown during the event highlighted processes involving quality, sustainability, and traceability of the Brazilian cotton, as seen from the perspective of specialists. Those are the three basic pillars that guide the work of Cotton Brazil. 

Júlio Cézar Busato ended the event celebrating the success of the partnership between Brazil and India: “With the signing of this memorandum, I am sure that we will grow even closer. We believe that in the future the Indian textile industry will grow more than its cotton production and this represents a great opportunity for Brazil to become a major supplier”. 

The Cotton Brazil Outlook – India was held by Abrapa in partnership with Anea and Apex-Brasil, with support from CITI – Confederation of Indian Textile Industry, and the Brazilian Embassy in New Delhi. 

About Cotton Brazil 

The Cotton Brazil initiative was launched at the end of 2020 to promote Brazilian cotton in the global market, and is the result of 20 years of constant innovation, research, and investments in industry improvements.  

Led by Abrapa (Brazilian Cotton Growers Association) in partnership with Anea (Brazilian Cotton Shippers Association) and Apex-Brasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency), Cotton Brazil encompasses actions including a physical presence in Asia with the opening of an office in Singapore; a larger digital presence through a website in nine languages ​​and social media efforts; relationship marketing programs; events; market intelligence; buyers and sellers missions; strategic research and partnerships. 

To learn more, visit: www.cottonbrazil.com