India's cotton production may rise by 10 to 12 per cent this year despite the erratic weather. The area sown as on July 14 was 90.88 lakh hectares, up by 17 per cent from 73.93 lakh hectares sown on the corresponding date of the previous year. Farmers are not interested in sowing pulses or soyabean. Price of pulses and soyabean are ruling below the minimum support price while cotton is one of the few crops that gives good returns to farmers.

Cotton seed companies too have confirmed a healthy growth in sales. It is estimated that cotton seed sales will be higher by at least ten per cent this year over the previous year.

Though re-sowing of the fiber crop has taken place in some areas, the seed industry does not see any major adverse impact on cotton production due to the dry spell in the first half of July. Major cotton growing areas in India are Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana and Karnataka.

India is the largest producer of cotton in the world, accounting for about 26 per cent of world cotton production. It has the largest area under cotton cultivation in the world and constitutes about 40 per cent of the world area under cotton cultivation.