Acreage under cotton in India during the 2016-17 crop year is expected to be lower by about 10 per cent than that of the current year. However, productivity is likely to be higher during the 2016-17 season due to better weather conditions across all cotton-growing regions of the country. Therefore, output for 2016-17 season is expected to be similar to that of the 2015-16 season. Total cotton supply for the 2016-17 season is estimated at 400 lakh bales while the domestic consumption is estimated at 308 lakh bales, thus leaving an available surplus of 92 lakh bales.

Maharashtra is expected to contribute 87 lakh bales, Gujarat 88 lakh bales and Madhya Pradesh 20 lakh bales. In the south, Karnataka is expected to contribute 21 lakh bales, while Telangana is expected to be the highest at 49 lakh bales. About 42 lakh bales are expected from Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. Except for Maharashtra, rains have not been good in the other cotton-growing states, including Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh bore the brunt of pest attacks last year.

Cotton planting in the country may fall to the lowest in seven years in the 2016-17 marketing season, thanks to pest attacks, the late onset of monsoon and the shift to pulses and oilseeds by farmers.