USDA Post estimates reduction in cotton sowing area and production in India

26-Jul-2024 12:32 PM

Mumbai. The US Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service's Indian Representative Office (USDA Post) has estimated that the cotton sowing area in India will decrease from 127 lakh hectares to 120 lakh hectares and cotton production will fall from 260 lakh bales to 254 lakh bales in the 2024-25 season as compared to the 2023-24 season.

It is worth noting that as per the estimated production by USDA Post, each bale of cotton weighs 480 pounds (about 213 kg) whereas in India the bale weighing 170 kg is prevalent.

According to the report of Usda Post, in the marketing season 2024-25 (October-September) in India, the total availability of cotton will reach 375.44 lakh bales with the previous outstanding stock of 109.44 lakh bales, production of 254 lakh bales and possible import of 12 lakh bales.

Out of this, 24 lakh bales will be exported and 250 lakh bales will be used domestically and at the end of the marketing season i.e. on 30 September 2025, there may be an outstanding surplus stock of 101.44 lakh bales of cotton.

Which will be 37 percent of its total annual use. Usda Post has expressed the possibility of the average yield rate of cotton improving to 461 kg per hectare in India.

In comparison, the total availability of cotton during the marketing season 2023-24 was estimated to be 381.44 lakh bales with outstanding stock of 113.24 lakh bales, production of 260 lakh bales and import of 8.20 lakh bales.

Out of this, 24 lakh bales are estimated to be exported and 248 lakh bales for domestic use, while at the end of the marketing season,

a surplus stock of 109.44 lakh bales of cotton is expected to remain. The average yield rate of cotton in the 2023-24 season has been estimated at 446 kg per hectare.