Cotton output to go up by 5% to 376 lakh bales in 2013-14: CAI

Cotton production is estimated to increase by 5 per cent to 376 lakh bales for the marketing year 2013-14, according to industry data.
The production of the commodity in the 2012-13 marketing year (October-September) stood at 356.75 lakh bales of 170 kgs each, as per Cotton Association of India (CAI) estimate.
The government has pegged the production of cotton at 353 lakh bales for 2013-14 and raised minimum support price (MSP) for cotton to Rs 3,700 per quintal from Rs 3,600 per quintal in 2012-13.
"Production will be higher in the current season despite lower acreage, as there was good monsoon this year and acreage in Gujarat has gone up substantially," CAI President Dhiren Sheth said

Acreage of cotton in the current season (2013-14) has come down slightly to about 118 lakh hectares as compared to 120 lakh hectares in the last season.
"The production of cotton crop for 2013-14 season beginning October 1, 2013 is estimated at 376 lakh bales", CAI said in a statement.

Arrivals till December in the current season were up by 16.8 per cent to 119.75 lakh bales as compared to 102.50 lakh bales in the same period last season.
"About one-third of the crop has arrived and approximately two-third is yet to arrive during the remainder of the season," Sheth added.

According to CAI's estimate, cotton production in Gujarat is set to jump to 118 lakh bales from 86.50 lakh bales during the period under review.
,The output is expected to go up in Maharashtra also, while in Andhra Pradesh and Punjab, it is estimated to come down slightly.