USDA expects India’s cotton picking to rise on higher prices

The latest report on India’s cotton and solutions for the year 2021-22, stated that the country’s cotton picking will be bigger as selling prices of the fibre business up.

Inspite of the October rains in pieces of the country disrupting arrivals, there are options of an enhanced picking as farmers would search for bigger realisations from the crop.

The Foreign Agricultural Provider (FAS), Mumbai of the United States Section of Agriculture (USDA), has projected India’s cotton output for the year at 28 million bales , which functions out to about 359 lakh bales (each of 170 kg). The production estimates are in line with Cotton Association of India (CAI)’s projection of cotton crop at 360.13 lakh bales — up seven lakh bales from 353 lakh bales approximated for previous 12 months 2020-21.

Large selling prices

“Due to high farm-gate seed cotton selling prices, the amount of pickings will likely be bigger as farmers count on better value realisation,” it observed in its report launched on December seven.

The recent farm-gate selling prices for Shankar-six variety in Gujarat have enhanced by 31 per cent considering the fact that October, observed the USDA report. The ginned-processed cotton selling prices now estimate at ₹64,900 a candy (each of 356 kg) against ₹57,000 at the beginning of October.

“Cotton picking proceeds in Central and South India, where farmers are being advised to drain out extra water from the standing crop and keep an eye on for bollworm and sucking pest infestation,” reported the report including that the rains in early October in pieces of North and Central India had delayed the harvest.

Output projections

The Union government, in its 1st progress estimate for the kharif crops launched in September this 12 months, had projected cotton output at 362.19 lakh bales for the 12 months — about ten lakh bales bigger than 353.84 lakh bales recorded previous 12 months. Later on on November twelve, the Committee on Cotton Creation and Usage (COCPC) posted its marketing 12 months 2021/22 cotton estimates projecting the output flat at 362 lakh bales.

On the arrivals, cotton inflow is witnessed at about 53.3 lakh bales, as on November twenty five. Recent crop arrivals depict fourteen.seven per cent of the total approximated production for marketing 12 months 2021/22. Final 12 months, the arrivals throughout the identical time period were being 22 per cent bigger.

The tempo of arrivals is envisioned to decide on up in coming weeks as the temperature enhances, and the harvest accelerates, observed the USDA report.