HEADLINES:  

India's cotton output is likely to dip by two million bales to 32.3 million in the 2012-13 marketing year as farmers are likely to switch over to better-priced alternative crops amid unclear cotton export policy, according to a report.

India, the world's second biggest cotton grower, had produced a record 34.25 million bales in the 2011-12 marketing year. One bale contains 170 kg of cotton.

Cotton production is forecast to decrease by two million bales to 32.3 million bales as the area is expected to drop by 10 per cent.


But domestic consumption is expected to increase to 26 million bales from 25.3 million bales.

However, India's exportable cotton supply would be only six million bales in 2012-13 against 11.75 million bales this year, given an expected drop in production and higher domestic demand.

Several factors suggest that cotton area in 2012-13 will be lower at 10.9 million hectare against the record 12.2 million hectares in 2011-12.

  INDIAN cotton Industry AT A Glance IN 2011 - 2012

  Cotton Association of India

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