Cotton
Cotton is a natural fiber, which ensures softness and comfort in the fabric used by people. SLC Agrícola has been growing cotton in the Brazilian Cerrado [savannah] since 1998, providing its product with high productivity and quality. Between 2018 and 2020, the productivity of SLC Agrícola was 2.4% higher than the national average and also higher than that of competing countries, such as the USA, China and India. We represent approximately 7% of the planted area of Brazil (USDA crop 19/20) and 11% of the total cotton exported (USDA crop 19/20).
How we produce the cotton that dresses the world
Learn about our production model
Agricultural Planning
Agricultural planning is one of SLC Agrícola´s advantages. At this stage, we adapt the quality need demanded by our customers to the best agronomic production practices. It is at this time that we select the inputs, such as seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, and plan the ideal crop rotation for each crop. The data generated in our research areas assist in defining the best sowing seasons and the agricultural operations that will ensure SLC Agrícola excellence in cotton production.
Preparation, sowing and management
Cotton is grown in fertile soils and requires favorable conditions for its development. Soil is prepared and fertilzied according to the needs of the crop. The sowing is carried out with machines with high technology and efficiency in the appropriate period for each growing region. All management carried out in cotton is guided by good agronomic practices, such as Integrated Pest and Disease Monitoring (IPM/MID), which aim at the rational use of inputs, ensuring sustainability to the production system.
Harvest
The harvest is carried out by trained operators and machines with high technology and operational yield. The harvesters are equipped with sensors that record georeferenced productivity data, allowing the crop production to be visualized on harvest maps. All bales harvested are properly identified in the crop and allow traceability of the information according to its quality.
Processing and storage
The cotton processing and storage process is carried out within the most modern agro-industrial production system carried out by highly qualified collaborators, always aiming at safety, product quality and process efficiency.
How we get to you
The cotton cycle is one of the longest among agricultural crops, taking an average of 200 days or six months from planting to harvesting. The cotton produced by SLC Agrícola is processed in cotton mills (or agroindustrial units or cotton gins) installed in the headquarters of the Farms, where it is classified and stored according to visual and laboratory fiber quality (HVI) analyses, indicating the main characteristics required by spinning, such as length and uniformity (UHM), resistance (Str), micronaire (fineness/maturity) and short fiber content (SFC), among others. The bales are transported to the spinning gins, in the foreign and domestic markets, where they are transformed into yarns, which give rise to the fabrics we use in clothes, sheets, towels and other cotton products.
Certified cotton
