Domestic cotton production may rise

The domestic cotton production is expected to go up by 10 per cent in 2006-07, compared with the output level of 245 lakh bales for the year 2005"�06, according to the Coimbatore- based South India Cotton Association (SICA).

Addressing the association's 27th annual general meeting, C Soundararaj, president, SICA, said that though the production was expected to increase, the demand would also remain strong considering the rising cotton consumption and the high volume of export of raw cotton.

Accordingly, the cotton prices would rule firm during the coming season, he said.

The crops in the US and China, the two largest cotton producers, were facing problems due to drought and floods. This may result in a firm price trend in the international market and would also attract more foreign buyers to India, he pointed out.

The cotton export this year is pegged at 60 lakh bales as against around 45 lakh bales last year.

Following the success of its model cotton farming for promoting Extra Long Staple (ELS) Cotton along with Super Spinning Mills Limited, SICA is now developing another model cotton farming in association with Coimbatore-based Rithanya Textiles Limited.

This model farm, which is to come up on a five-acre land, uses MRC-6918, an ELS cotton variety promoted by the Maharashtra Hybrid Seed company (Mahyco).