The production of cotton is estimated to increase by 5% to 376 lakh bales for the marketing year 2013-14, as compared to 356.75 lakh bales production which stood in the 2012-13 marketing year (October-September) period, as per Cotton Association of India (CAI) estimates. This increase in production in the current season will be despite lower acreage, as there was good monsoon this year and acreage in Gujarat has gone up substantially.
Acreage of cotton in the current season (2013-14) has come down slightly to about 118 lakh hectares as compared to 120 lakh hectares in the last season. Arrivals till December in the current season were up by 16.8% to 119.75 lakh bales as compared to 102.50 lakh bales in the same period last season.
The cotton production in Gujarat as per CAI’s estimate is set to jump to 118 lakh bales from 86.50 lakh bales during the period under review. The output is expected to go up in Maharashtra also, while in Andhra Pradesh and Punjab, it is estimated to come down slightly.
The government has pegged the production of cotton at 353 lakh bales for 2013-14 and raised minimum support price (MSP) for cotton to Rs 3,700 per quintal from Rs 3,600 per quintal in 2012-13.