Winning streak made cotton star crop of 2017; here's what to expect in 2018

Cotton's stellar performance came as crop woes in Pakistan and India, two of the world's biggest growers, raised prospects for American shipments

The longest winning streak in two decades propelled cotton to 2017's biggest increase among crop commodities, and hedge funds are ready for more gains in 2018. 

Of the nine components tracked by the Bloomberg Agriculture Subindex, only cotton and wheat contracts posted gains last year. The fibre led the way with an 11 per cent advance as demand grew for US exports. Prices capped 2017 with 10 straight weekly gains, the best streak since 1998. 

Cotton was also one of the few crops that hedge funds got more positive on during the course of the year. Money managers held a net-long position,