Chairman of USDA Cotton Outlook Committee visit China Cotton Association

On April 16, Ms.Carol Skelly, the chairman of USDA Cotton Outlook Committee, Mr.James Johnson, official of Overseas Agriculture Bureau visit the China Cotton Association, companied with official from agriculture department USA embassy in China.

Mrs.Skelly introduced the purpose of this trip to China at first that is exchange opinions with Chinese accompany extensively to prepare for the cotton supply and demand report of USDA on global cotton supply and demand balance sheet in 2008/09 season which will be released in May. China occupies very important position as the largest cotton production and consumption country in the world. Exchanging with Chinese counterpart and listening to the view on the market can help to understand the situation between cotton supply and demand of China better. Mrs.Skelly says, influenced by factors such as slowing global economic and the goods market price fluctuates by a wide margin, to predict cotton market next year faces new challenge. The report from CCA is very powerful to cotton market of the whole world; USDA pays close attention to this and hopes to know relevant information and the progress of the Chinese cotton balance sheet.

Mrs. Gaofang, the general secretary of CCA, introduced China cotton supply and demand situation in 2007/08 at first and the information investigation method, data source and the future work plan. She said CCA will strengthen the cooperation with domestic and international body to set up cotton industry's database to serve the industry better. Mr. Shi JianWei, the vice executive chairman of CCA introduced the formulation method and progress of the China cotton balance sheet, made a prediction to China cotton situation in 2008/09 season. He said China cotton planting area will keep steady basicly, the production steady, the gap reduce slightly, and the import will drop to some extent.

At last, both sides expressed to build a cotton information exchanging mechanism, and launch further exchange and cooperation in making cotton balance sheet.