India records drop in November cotton output at 40.2 million bales

India’s cotton yield has recorded a drop in output at 40.2 million bales (170 kgs each in 1 bale) in November during 2014-15, while during the same period last year, total cotton crop stood at 40.7 million bales according the Cotton Association of India (CAI).

The projected balance sheet drawn for the year 2014-15 estimates total cotton supply at 47.39 million bales while domestic consumption is estimated at 30.60 million bales thus leaving an available surplus of 16.79 million bales, said CAI.

In Gujarat state cotton output was down to 1.22 million bales during 2014-15, a compared to 1.29 million bales produced during 2013-14.
The Minimum Support Price (MSP) operations are taking place all over the country and the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) has done a very good job so far and procured close to 2 million bales under MSP operations.

However, CAI has urged the entire cotton sector to lend unstinted support to the CCI in discharging its onerous responsibility. As financial and infrastructural (ginning capacity, storage capacity and man-power) stress will start showing soon.