An Indian Cotton Federation (ICF) report for the fortnight ended May 15, 2015 reveals that about 3.45 crore cotton bales have been pressed till now. ICF expects that in states like Gujarat and Maharashtra, farmers may shift from cotton to pulses and groundnut as they find cotton farming unviable due to untimely rains and lower than MSP prices.

The report added that CCI has marketed 12 lakh bales through auction out of their stock of 86 lakh bales, which also includes 4.5 lakh bales of the Maharashtra Cotton Federation. USDA officials recently visited Coimbatore to meet ICF and SIMA office bearers to discuss current US, global and Indian cotton scenario. Due to lack of export demand and also slow domestic off-take, ICF quoting market experts says the carry over stock may double from the last season’s end stock.

Nearly 25 per cent cotton sowing has been completed in the North zone, of which in Punjab, it is just around 5 per cent, while in Rajasthan, sowing has just started and in Haryana around 40 per cent sowing has been completed. In Gujarat, approximately 1 crore bales have been pressed till now as per trade sources of which in Saurashtra approximately 64 lakh bales have been pressed while around 26 lakh bales has been pressed in North Gujarat. Approximately 6 lakh bales have been pressed in stations near Bharuch and Surat while in areas surrounding Kutch, 3.5 lakh bales have been pressed and in areas near Himmatnagar, around 1.5 lakh bales have been pressed.