India to Make Global Record on Cotton Crop Production for 2019-20, predicts USDA

Highlighting India’s growing agriculture productivity, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has projected India's cotton crop at 305 lakh US bales (each of 217.7 kg) for the marketing year 2019-20, which works out to 390 lakh India bales (each of 170 kg).

As per the report, India’s cotton crop was reported decade-low at 312 lakh bales by the apex cotton trade body in 2018-19, said Cotton Association of India (CAI).

A Drastic Change in Production

“Production in India, the leading cotton producer is forecast at 30.5 million bales, 15 percent above 2018-19, and the second-highest on record, as both area and yield in 2019-20 are expected higher. Harvested area in India is projected at a record 12.9 million hectares in 2019-20, as domestic prices and internal support price prospects favor cotton over competing crops,” USDA stated in its international outlook on the cotton crop that released in October 15, 2019.

Moreover, the report also mentioned that the recent above-average monsoon rainfall will likely provide an extended picking season, which is expected to increase the yield to a 3-year high.

While the first advance estimate by the Government of India has projected cotton crops in the country at 322.7 lakh bales, still the cotton trade bodies in India are yet to come out with their own crop estimate.

As per the report, India grew cotton on a larger area at 127.67 lakh hectares in this Kharif season, about 6 lakh hectares more than last year.

“India’s increased stock expectations to 134 lakh US bales (or 171.6 lakh India bales)associated with the higher production forecast — contribute significantly to this season’s global stock gain...For India, this season’s projected larger crop is expected to provide an additional 500,000 bales (or 6.4 lakh Indian bales) of exports, with cotton exports rebounding to 4.0 million bales in 2019-20,” the USDA report stated.