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Informist, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026

 

MUMBAI – The US Department of Agriculture has raised its estimates for world cotton production in 2025-26 (Aug-Jul) to 119.86 million bales (1 bale = 480 pounds) from 119.43 million bales projected in January, it said in the February edition of its World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates monthly report. "The estimate of 2025-26 global production is raised 425,000 bales following increases for China and South Africa that are partially offset by reductions for Argentina and Mexico," the report said. 

 

World cotton consumption in 2025-26 is projected lower at 118.72 million bales, compared with 118.92 million bales projected last month. "Global consumption is lowered 200,000 bales with a 100,000-bale reduction for Pakistan and small reductions elsewhere," the report said. 

 

The department has marginally lowered its estimate for global cotton exports for 2025-26 to 43.71 million bales from 43.77 million bales. "The estimate for world exports is reduced 60,000 bales as the changes in US and Australian exports exactly offset, and small changes are made for several countries," the report said. 

 

For India, the department has kept its estimate of production unchanged at 23.50 million bales and consumption at 25 million bales. It has also kept its projection of India's export of cotton unchanged at 1.40 million bales. The department has kept its estimate of the country's beginning stocks unchanged at 9.22 million bales, while it has marginally raised the ending stock estimate to 9.52 million bales from 9.32 million bales estimated in January.

 

The Cotton Association of India, the leading lobby of the cotton value chain in the country, has maintained its forecast for the country's cotton production for 2025-26 (Oct-Sept) at 31.7 million bales (1 bale = 170 kg). The cotton body sees India's cotton consumption in the year to September at 30.5 million bales, also unchanged from its previous forecast, it said in the release. The association has maintained its forecast for imports in 2025-26 at 5.0 million bales.  End

 

Reported by Reshma Ravi

Edited by Deepshikha Bhardwaj

 

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