The forecast for India’s cotton production in the ongoing 2011-12 marketing year that commenced in October has been cut by 7.5 lakh bales to 34.25 million bales due to a likely dip in output in Maharashtra, a USDA report said.
Earlier, the USDA had pegged the country’s cotton production at 35 million bales for the ongoing marketing year (October-September). One bale contains 170 kg of cotton.
“India’s 2011-12 cotton production is now expected to reach 34.25 million bales, 7,50,000 bales lower than the previous estimate,” the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said in its latest report.
The forecast has been downsized due to an estimated lower production in Maharashtra, where weather conditions have been less than favourable for the plant growth, it said.
“Yields are typically lower in Maharashtra and weather conditions in the cotton growing region of Vidarbha have reportedly not been ideal,” it added.
Pointing out that the cotton arrival continues to lag behind the year-ago pace, the USDA noted that “the slow pace of arrivals is beginning to raise questions about the accuracy of prior crop estimates“.
The Agriculture Ministry has estimated cotton production at 36.1 million bales in 2011-12. Mumbai-based Cotton Advisory Board (CAB) estimated the crop at 35.6 million bales during the period and some trade estimates had placed the crop output above 36 million bales.
Arrival had reached 8.8 million bales as on December 25 of 2011, as against 11.8 million bales in the same period last year, the USDA said quoting the government’s body Cotton Corporation of India (CCI).
Arrivals are slow because of the delay in the onset of harvest by up to a month and farmers holding cotton expecting higher prices.