Production to move up

The country's cotton production is expected to be between 300-315 lakh bales (170 kg each) during the 2007-08 season (Oct-Sept), with Indian exports expected to rise as production in the US slumps.

Of the five major cotton producing countries, China's crop was projected to remain similar as in 2006-07 at 421 lakh bales while production in the US would be down from 279 lakh bales to 224 lakh bales this year, according to industry sources here.

With a production of 280 lakh bales, India, which had already overtaken the US (279 lakh bales) in 2006-07, was expected to produce 300 lakh bales this season.

If conditions continued to be favourable, the production may even surpass 315 lakh bales, they said. India's cotton export during 2006-07 was placed at 55 lakh bales and was expected to be more than 65 lakh bales this year, since the reduced US cotton crop may bring more international buyers to India, they said.

While the production in neighbouring Pakistan was expected to touch 135 lakh bales as against 128 lakh bales last year, Brazil's production would be down by 11 lakh bales at 80 lakh bales from 91 lakh bales last season, the sources said.