COMCEC Agriculture Outlook 2017
24
Figure 20. Cotton Yields in the OIC and the World
Source: FAOSTAT
Lastly, one of the widely produced agricultural products in the OIC member countries is cotton
which provides main sources of raw materials to textile industry. Furthermore, it is an
important cash crop for millions of farmers, which generates income to rural household.
Therefore, it enhances the food security of farmers with respect to accessibility of food,
especially in poor regions.
Cotton yield in the OIC and world is illustrated in Figure 20 during the period 1995-2014. As
seen in the figure, the yield of cotton in the OIC member countries shows a poor performance
over the last two decades. While it is noted 1.8 tons/hectare in 1995, it slightly increased to 2.0
tons/hectare in 2014. Compared to the world, the cotton yield of the OIC was higher than the
world till the beginning of the 21. Century, the world average cotton yield has surpassed the
OIC figures during 2000s. As of 2014, world average cotton yield was 17 percent higher than
OIC’s.
2.4. Water
Water is the most crucial input for agricultural production. One of the remarkable
characteristics of water is that in addition being an indispensable input itself, it works as an
augmenting input in agriculture when combined with other inputs of production such as
improved seeds and fertilizer.7 It is estimated that growing fertilizer application and more
water usage by irrigation have been responsible for over 70 percent of the crop yield increase
throughout the world.8 The total volume of water on earth is about 1.4 billion km 3 of which
only 2.5 percent, or about 35 million km3 , is freshwater.
7 Nayak and Bhattacharjee, 2005
8 Nellemann et. al, 2009
1,85
1,76 1,89
1,99 1,96
1,60
1,67
2,00
2,15
2,29
1,40
1,50
1,60
1,70
1,80
1,90
2,00
2,10
2,20
2,30
2,40
1995 2000 2005 2010 2014
Yield (tonnes/ha)
OIC World