This is according to a report in Farmer's Weekly, which quotes Cotton SA’s Koot Louw as saying the eighth local estimate for the 2014/2015 production of more than 95 000 lint bales is up 101% from the previous season.

Loots says this is 4% less than the previous estimate due to lower dryland yields.

A report by Cotton SA says world cotton consumption is expected to grow by 2%.

Meanwhile local producers are also excited about a new cotton stripper that can significantly increase harvesting efficiency. Farmer’s Weekly reporter Gerhard Uys told OFM News the stripper, brought into South Africa by North West farmer Gert Cilliers, could revolutionise the local cotton industry:

'Gerhard Uys'

Uys says the introduction of new GM varieties that are more resistant to bollworm are also contributing towards growth in the sector, as well as the fact that cotton is much more tolerant of dry conditions than many other crops.

Sabrina Dean/OFM News and Farmer's Weekly