The total cotton output in the country is estimated to be 370.50 lakh bales for the 2015-16 season which began on October 1, an industry body said today.
This figure is same as the October estimate of 370.50 lakh bales (of 170 kg each), the Cotton Association of India (CAI) said in a release here.
However, the estimate is lower by 12.25 lakh bales than the output of 382.75 lakh bales for the cotton season 2014-15, it added.
The crop damage in the northern region due to the white-fly attack this year remains a cause of concern, the association said.
The total crop estimated in the northern zone during the season 2015-16 is 47 lakh bales, down from 53.50 lakh bales last year.
The projected balance sheet drawn by the CAI estimated total cotton supply for 2015-16 at 463.15 lakh bales, while the domestic consumption is pegged at 325 lakh bales, leaving a surplus of 138.15 lakh bales.