Cotton crop may grow to 45 million bales by FY12: CAI

India is expected to achieve a significant increase in average yield and increased cotton crop of about 45 million bales by FY 12, a top industry official said.        

"The country should be able to achieve higher average yield and increase in cotton crop production of about 45 million bales by FY 12," Cotton Association of India (CAI) Chairman P D Patodia said here.        

India presently produces 31.5 million bales of 170 kg each which constitutes 20 per cent of the world cotton production.        

"Our average yield of 560 kg per hectares is yet to catch up with the world average of 785 kg per hectares, but I am confident that we have a clear potential to increase our yield significantly in coming years," Patodia said.        

Cotton cultivation is widespread, spanning across 10 different cotton-growing states having diverse agro-climatic conditions.        

India has the largest area of 9.5 million hectares under cotton cutlivation in the world constituting 29 per cent of the total world cotton area.        

Cotton production in India has almost doubled in the last four years with productivity significantly going up from 398 kg per hectares in FY 04 to 560 kg per hectare in FY 08.        

The increase in production was due to sustained developmental efforts taken by Technology Mission on Cotton, Cotton Corporation of India and various cotton and textile bodies, Patodia said.