Cotton availability expected to increase due to massive imports
12-Nov-2025 05:10 PM
Ahmedabad. Although the Cotton Association of India (CAI), a leading trade body, has estimated that domestic cotton production will decline to 30.5 million bales (each bale weighing 170 kg) in the current marketing season of 2025-26 due to excessive rainfall, floods,
waterlogging, and Cyclone Montha, a decrease of approximately 2 percent or 700,000 bales from the estimated production of 31.2 million bales in the 2024-25 season, it says that overall availability will increase due to massive imports from abroad.
According to the association, the government has exempted cotton imports from customs duty until December 31, 2025, while its price in the international market has fallen significantly. The Indian textile industry is attempting to take full advantage of this favorable situation.
Cotton imports in the country are expected to reach 30 lakh bales during the quarter from October to December 2025, while the total imports are expected to increase to 45 lakh bales in the entire marketing season (October-September) of 2025-26, which will be 4 lakh bales or 10 percent more than the gross imports of 41 lakh bales in the 2024-25 season.
The cotton sowing area decreased by 2.6 percent to around 110 lakh hectares in the Kharif season of 2025 as compared to 2024. Despite this, cotton production was initially expected to increase to 330-340 lakh bales in the current season,
but considering the huge damage caused to the crop in the major producing states due to various natural calamities, the production is now estimated to be even lower than the previous season.
According to the association, cotton production in the northern region is expected to increase by approximately 2 million bales to 3.05 million bales, but yields are expected to decline in top producing states like Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Production in Madhya Pradesh will remain unchanged. Cotton production in South India is expected to increase by 1 million bales and in Andhra Pradesh by 4 million bales, but production in Telangana is expected to decline from last year's 4.875 million bales to 4.3 million bales this year.