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| The cotton crop is estimated to be sharply higher than last year's 136 lakh bales owing to good monsoon. |
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| The import of cotton in the country is expected to halve during the current cotton crop year to 8 lakh bales from last year's 16 lakh bales. Gujarat is expected to top in cotton production at 43 lakh bales. |
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| Subodh Kumar, textiles commissioner, released the cotton production estimates after an informal meeting of the yet to be officially constituted Cotton Advisory Board (CAB). |
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| "Trade and industry was waiting for the estimates and to be on time, an informal meeting was called," he explained. |
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| "Crop condition in Gujarat is excellent and is also good in Punjab and Haryana. There is a slight slack in Vidarbha which is offset by higher production in other states," Subodh Kumar stated. |
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| Ruling out any possibility of revision in cotton import duty, Subodh Kumar stated that the mills were expected to fare better this year as cotton will be easily available and domestic prices were likely to drop below landed import prices, he said. |
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| The northern region is estimated to produce 32 lakh bales (170 kilogram each) from last year's 21 lakh bales, while the central zone is estimated to produce 94 lakh bales against previous year's 72.50 lakh bales. |
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| Southern zone is expected to produce 37 lakh bales, up from last year's 30 lakh bales. Loose cotton is expected to be 11 lakh bales against previous year's 11.50 lakh bales. Supply from other sources was expected to be 1 lakh bales. |
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| The area under cotton cultivation has also increased in the current cotton year to 81.60 lakh hectares from last year's 75.72 lakh hectares. |
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| The cultivated area in the northern region comprising Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan has increased to 13.52 lakh hectares from 12.95 lakh hectares. |
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| In central zone comprising Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh the area has increased to 51.81 lakh hectares from 48.47 lakh hectares. |
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| Area under cotton in southern region of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu has increased to 15.50 lakh hectares from last year's 13.77 lakh hectares. |
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| Rest of the country has witnessed a rise to 0.77 lakh hectares from previous year's 0.53 lakh hectares. |
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