Cotton production in India to be at 26 mn bales: USDA

The US department of agriculture has revised upwards the cotton production estimates for India in 2010-11 crop year by one million bales to 26 million bales, on account of higher area and expectation of better yield.

"India's 2010-11 cotton production is forecast at 26 million bales, weighing 480 pounds each, up 4 per cent from last month, and up by 2.5 million or 11 per cent from last year," US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said in a report.

Last month, the Department had estimated India's cotton output for the current crop year at 25 million bales. Cotton crop year runs from July to June.

"The 2010 monsoon rainfall has progressed well over the cotton regions. During the month of July, cumulative rainfall has been very favorable compared to the last year, promoting good crop growth and development," the report said.

USDA said during the current year, not only there would be an increase in cultivation, productivity would also go up.

Given that most of the cotton growing areas have received good rains and the planting is progressing in a timely fashion, the 2010-11 yields are expected to be better than last year, it added.

"The yield is forecast at 529 kgs per hectare, slightly up from last month and up 6 per cent from the last year, and up 3 per cent from the five-year average," the USDA report said.

Cotton planting in the major producing areas is nearly complete, USDA said while adding that the planting is reported to be higher this year in major cotton growing states such as Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.