Tarakçıoğlu emphasized that another important advantage for Turkey of being the leader of the fast growing market was its positive contribution to Turkish textile industry and Turkey’s image, advocated everything should be made to make Turkey number one center of the world in organic cotton textile products production and said: "Because organic cotton and cotton products constitute a window for Turkey and they would not only contribute to Turkey’s positive image but also constitute a significant chance for Turkish textile and confection industry to go up to a higher class".

India Ranks Second
Tarakçıoğlu said that the most important organic cotton producer countries in the world in 2006/2007 season were respectively Turkey, India, China, Syria, Peru, USA, Uganda, Tanzania, Israel and Pakistan. Tarakçıoğlu reported that according to 2007 Organic Exchange: Farm and Fiber Report, 40 percent of 57 thousand 931 tons of organic cotton produced in the world in 2006/2007 season, that is 23 thousand 152 tons, were produced by Turkey and noted 32.4 percent, that is 18 thousand 790 tons, were produced by India.

More than 80 Percent from Şanlıurfa

Tarakçıoğlu stated more than 80 percent of Turkey’s organic cotton production in 2006/2007, which was 63 thousand 236 tons according to the figures of the Ministry of Agriculture and Village Affairs, came from Şanlıurafa, and about 10 percent from Aydın and said "Although India made it harder for Turkey in 2005/2006 season, Turkey’s reaching a position to provide 40 percent of world organic cotton production by itself again as a result of the faster increase in cotton production in Turkey compared to India and the world average in 2006/2007 season according to the most recent estimations, pepped up those believing the importance of the issue."

The Number of Big Firms Increase
Tarakçıoğlu, who depicted that the engine of the rapid growth in organic cotton production was the fast growth of demand in organic textile products, continued as follows: "Indeed, the demands for organic agricultural products increase throughout the world, particularly in the EU countries, in the USA and Japan.

85 percent of the organic cotton is used in ready wear, 10 percent in home textiles, 5 percent in health and personal care products. Big brands like Nike, Timberland, Mark&Spencer aim at making 5 percent of the cotton they use in all cotton products organic until 2010-2012. The number of big firms entering the organic cotton market with such targets increases every year. After C&A, NAU, Next and Target in 2006, Pottery Barn, Stella McCartney and Barney’s joined the trend in 2007."

Sales Will Rise to 6.8 Billion Dollars in 2010
Tarakçıoğlu stressed that organic cotton product retail sales in the world rose to 1.1 billion dollars in 2006, depicted that it is expected to be 2 billion dollars with a 83 percent increase in 2007. Tarakçıoğlu indicated that they decided to grow their organic cotton programs faster than their first plan because organic cotton sales showed a stronger development than expected in 2006 and 2007 and said: "In the light of all those developments, Organic Exchange stated they expected a rise in organic cotton retail sales to 3.5 billion this year, to 5 billion in 2009 and to 6.8 billion dollars in 2010 according to its projection in November 2007."

Source: www.bahcesel.com