Cotton output may fall short of consumption

Global cotton production next season will be more than estimated a month ago while falling short of consumption for a second straight year, the International Cotton Advisory Committee said.

Production will total 26.9 million tonnes in the marketing year beginning August 1, up 1.1 per cent from last month's projection, the Washington-based committee said on Wednesday in an e-mailed report. Cotton use will dip 0.7 per cent from the December forecast to 27.5 million tonnes, according to the committee, an association of 44 governments.

For the current marketing year, farmers around the world will pick 25.7 million tonnes of cotton and textile mills will use 27.2 million tons, the association predicts.

While the area planted with cotton will be little changed from this year at 34 million hectares (84 million acres), production will increase because of "an expected rise in yields,'' the ICAC said.

Global stockpiles at the end of the next marketing year may fall 4.5 per cent to 10.7 million tonnes from 11.2 million projected at the end of this year, according to the association.