India may produce 345 lakh bales cotton in 2016-17: CAI

India is projected to produce nearly 345 lakh bales of cotton in the crop year 2016-17 owing to better weather conditions, according to the Cotton Association of India (CAI).

The country’s cotton production touched four crore bales during 2013-14, and fell to 386 lakh bales and 338 lakh bales in crop years 2014-15 and 2015-16, respectively.

Improvements in productivity during the current crop year are expected due to favourable weather conditions in the cotton growing regions of India, said Dhiren Sheth, former president of CAI, at the annual general meeting of the association in Mumbai.

White fly attack in the northern region of India was one of the main reasons for the extreme reduction in the crop during 2015-16. Though the productivity of cotton in the country is below the world average productivity mark, government initiatives and scientific research would help achieve the average productivity mark soon, added Sheth.

Lower levels of cotton prices during the crop year 2015-16 resulted in lower realization of prices for the produce by farmers, leading to a reduction of more than 10 per cent in acreage under cotton during the following season, he said.

Directorate of Cotton Development (DOCD) has estimated the acerage under cotton to reduce from 118.77 lakh hectares in 2015-16 to 105 lakh hectares this year, said Sheth.

Sheth also said that a huge boost in infrastructure is required for being in sync with the international trading norms. CAI has 11 laboratories to help farmers in cotton growing centres and provide the required services and testing facilities. Another laboratory will soon be established by the association.

Additionally, for 2016-17, CAI has appointed Nayan C Mirani as the new president and Udayan Thakkar as the vice president, said media reports.