Cotton production in India is likely to increase 3.76 per cent compared to the last year. Better yield is expected even though the area under cultivation has dropped significantly. The cotton marketing year runs from October to September. Production is also expected to increase as there were fewer pest attacks, including white fly in Punjab and Haryana and pink ball worms in Gujarat.

The area under indigenous variety has increased and the acreage under Bt cotton has slightly declined. Meanwhile the Indian Council of Agricultural Research has come up with more native varieties, which are equally good in yield. Once they are commercialised in 2017-18, the area under the indigenous variety will grow even more. Total yield is estimated to grow by almost 20 per cent in 2016-17 from 2015-16. The yield is estimated to be better in almost all cotton producing regions, except Tamil Nadu, where it has declined significantly due to moisture stress.

Total exports are estimated to have declined to 60 lakh bales in 2016-17 from 69.07 lakh bales in 2015-16. Till May, shipment to Bangladesh was 40 per cent of total exports while it has shrunk drastically to Pakistan, which witnessed a bumper crop.