A favourable monsoon across the country has resulted in an increase in productivity of cotton despite a 10% fall in area under cultivation for the year 2016-17. However, according to the first projection report by Cotton Association of India (CAI), cotton production is being estimated at 33.60 million bales (A bale of 170 kg) for the year 2016-17, marginally lower from 33.77 million bales production in 2015-16.

The projected balance sheet drawn by the association has estimated total cotton supply for the cotton year 2016-17 at 40 million bales as against 42 million bales last year. Cotton year starts from October and end in September every year in India.

"Area under cotton crop is expected to be lower by 10 per cent in 2016-17. However, productivity is likely to be higher during the 2016-17 season due to the better weather conditions across all cotton growing regions in India. Therefore, the crop for the next cotton season is expected to be similar to the cotton crop for the current season," said Dhiren Sheth, president of CAI.

As per the agriculture department of India, cotton sowing has been done on an area of around 10.15 million hectares as on August 19, 2016, down by 8 per cent from 11.02 million hectares in corresponding period of 2015.

CAI in the projection report has estimated domestic consumption at 30.80 million bales same as in current year.

However, despite no significant change in domestic production and consumption of cotton, the association has predicted higher import of two million bales in next cotton year as against 1.5 million bales in this year.

Cotton production in the central zone of India which includes Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh has been estimated at 19.50 million bales as against 18.47 million bales. On the other hand, production estimates for north and south zone stand at 4.2 million bales and 9.3 million bales, respectively. Last year, while north zone had seen production of around four million bales, south zone had seen around 10.75 million bales.

According to CAI, as on July 31, 2016, 33.40 million bales of cotton have been arrived in the markets in current season.

Sources;.business-standard.com