The Cotton Association of India (CAI), which has released its December estimate of the cotton crop for the 2016-17 season beginning from October 1, 2016, has placed the cotton crop at 341.00 lakh bales of 170 kg each. The projected Balance Sheet drawn by the CAI estimated total cotton supply for the cotton season 2016-17 at 404 lakh bales while the domestic consumption is estimated at 290 lakh bales, thus leaving an available surplus of 114 lakh bales.
The arrivals of cotton during the ongoing 2016-17 crop year are estimated to be lower than those up to the same period last year due to holding back of seed cotton by farmers.