When compared to the previous season, the closing cotton stock for the 2022–23 growing season may increase by 2.5 million bales (170 kg per bale) to roughly 5.8 million bales due to lower domestic and export consumption as well as higher output driven by increased sowing area.
In India, the cotton season lasts from October 1 to September 30. Closing cotton stock as of September 30, 2022, was 3.3 million bales. However, given the seasonal trends in consumption and export, it is predicted that domestic cotton consumption will decline by 2 million bales and that exports would also likely fall by 0.5 million bales. Accordingly, as of September 30, 2023, closing stock would increase to 5.8 million bales, according to Atul Ganatra, president of the Cotton Association of India (CAI).
Higher cotton production, in Ganatra’s opinion, is another factor contributing to greater cotton stock at the end of the current season. According to the CAI, 34.4 million bales of cotton will be produced in 2022–2023, an increase of roughly 3.7 million bales from the previous year. 12.8 million hectares of this year’s sowing have been finished so far, one million hectares more than in 2021–2022.
Cotton supply for the current crop year is predicted to stay at 38.7 million bales, down from 39.2 million bales in 2021–22. The first estimation of cotton production and consumption was made taking into account the current weather conditions and other factors based on the data provided by the 30 CAI members from the cotton growing regions.
