Owing to pink bollworm attack on cotton crops in Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, the Cotton Advisory Board (CAB) has lowered its cotton output estimate of 377 lakh bales to 370 lakh bales for 2017-18. But, this estimated cotton output of 370 lakh bales for 2017-18 is higher by around 7% from the previous year’s output of 345 lakh bales.
The board had estimated cotton production to be 345 lakh bales and exports at 59 lakh bales for the season when it had met in December. Production estimates were lower in the beginning of the season as the board expected damage to the crop from bollworm attack.
Besides, the Cotton Association of India (CAI), in its recent report, has estimated cotton crop for the ongoing 2017-18 season beginning from October 1, 2017, at 365 lakh bales (of 170 kg each), which is higher by 5 lakh bales from its previous estimate in May.