India’s cotton production in the 2022/2023 season is likely to be up 12 per cent from a year ago.

One reason is that farmers have expanded the crop area. The rise in output in the world’s biggest producer of cotton could weigh on global prices that have corrected sharply after rising earlier this year to their highest in a decade.

The cotton crop area has increased by around ten per cent. India started the new season with carry forward stocks of 3.19 million bales, down from last year's 7.18 million bales. The country’s cotton consumption, which was affected by lower stocks and higher prices, could improve to 32 million bales in the new season from 31.8 million bales a year ago. Exports could fall to 3.5 million bales in the new season from 4.3 million bales a year ago.

India faces challenges in cotton yields though perhectare yields are likely to rise this year. While the yield in India is at 460 kg per hectare, it is at about 1,850 kg per hectare in China, Brazil and Turkey. Initiatives under consideration in India include promoting high density planting, drip irrigation, rainwater harvesting, inter-cropping.

Globally, farmers are working on artificial intelligence-based technology to improve productivity and spraying operations since the cotton crop is more sensitive to pest attacks.