Cotton crop likely to be at 336 lakh bales in 2016-17: CAI

Cotton production is estimated to be at 336 lakh bales for the cotton season 2016-17 starting October 1, on better weather conditions, Cotton Association of India (CAI) said in its first estimate.

The July estimate for the ongoing cotton season 2015-16 stood at 337.75 lakh bales of 170 kgs, CAI said in a release issued here.

CAI further said the acreage under cotton during the ensuing 2016-17, is expected to be lower by about 10 per cent than the current year.

However, productivity is likely to be higher during the 2016-17, due to the better weather conditions across all cotton growing regions of the country, it said.
 

Therefore, CAI said, the crop for the 2016-17 cotton season is expected to be similar to the cotton crop for the cotton season 2015-16.

The total cotton supply for the cotton season 2016-17, is estimated to be at 400 lakh bales while the domestic consumption is estimated at 308 lakh bales, leaving an available surplus of 92 lakh bales.