Cotton production expected to be lower than last year

Cotton production in the current cotton season that will end in September 2025 is expected to be 295 lakh bales compared with 325 lakh bales last season.

The Committee on Cotton Production and Consumption that met on Monday said imports this season will be 25 lakh bales (16 lakh bales in 2023-2024) and exports will be 18 lakh bales. Cotton consumption by the domestic textile industry is expected to be 302 lakh bales, which will be almost seven lakh bales lesser than last season. The cotton season is expected to close with 30 lakh bales stock, compared with 62 lakh bales in 2022-2023 and 47 lakh bales in 2023-2024.

Textile and clothing exports have picked up and so demand for yarn is higher now. The government should remove the import duty on cotton so that textile mills have adequate cotton between August and November this year, said SK Sundararaman, chairman of the Southern India Mills’ Association.