India is again headed for a bumper cotton crop on the back of record sowing operations completed on around 110 hectares so far this year. So there is a possibility of weakening of cotton prices in the coming season owing to a huge carry over stock of around 138 lakh bales. The highest ever cotton crop was in 2007, when the country produced some 567 lakh bales. In 2013-14, cotton production touched some 401 lakh bales.

Cotton sowing still continues in Andhra Pradesh and the southern parts of the country and there has been rapid progress in southern Telangana. Among the 84-odd cotton growing nations, Indian productivity is at 32nd rank. This has been the case for the last 10 years. But India is still the world’s highest cotton producer. China comes second, having reduced its cotton acreage to some 38 lakh hectares from 54 lakh hectares last year, and US ranks third in cotton acreage with 33 lakh hectares under cotton.

This year, after China stopped imports, there has been a glut of cotton in the Indian market with a carry forward stock of some 138 to 148 lakh bales. In the last four to five years, this has been the best sowing India has ever had.