The Cotton Association of India (CAI), the apex trade body for the fibre crop, has marginally revised upwards crop estimates for the 2025-26 season ending September to 324 lakh bales of 170 kg each, from the earlier projections of 320.50 lakh bales. During the 2024-25 crop year, the pressing estimate was 312.40 lakh bales of 170 kg each.
This upward revision of 3.5 lakh bales follows the higher than expected production in Maharashtra, after offseting the declines in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
In Maharashtra, the crop estimate has been revised upwards by 7 lakh bales to 105 lakh bales, up from earlier estimates of 98 lakh bales, said CAI President Vinay N Kotak and Chairman, CAI Crop Committee, Atul S Ganatra. During 2024-25, production in Maharashtra was estimated at 91 lakh bales.
The CAI crop committee held a meeting on Friday to arrive at new crop estimates for the 2025-26 season. Around 21 members from all the States attended the meeting and gave estimates for their respective States
However, the crop estimate for Gujarat was reduced by 3 lakh bales to 72 lakh bales, from the earlier projection of 75 lakh bales. Gujarat produced 77 lakh bales during 2024-25.
Similarly, the crop estimate has been reduced by 0.5 lakh bales in Madhya Pradesh to 17.5 lakh bales. In 2024-25, production in MP was 19 lakh bales.
In the North Zone comprising Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, the total output has been estimated at 29 lakh bales, marginally lower than the previous year’s 29.55 lakh bales.
In the Central Zone, total production during 2025-26 was pegged at 194.50 lakh bales, up from the previous year’s 187 lakh bales.
Similarly in the South, output has been estimated at 95 lakh bales, higher than the previous year’s 90 lakh bales. In Orissa, production this year is estimated at 3.5 lakh bales (3.85 lakh bales), while in the other states it is flat at 2 lakh bales.
Till end-March, a total of 292.74 lakh bales of 170 kg each arrived in the market.
Meanwhile, cotton prices have firmed up further, crossing the ₹60,000-mark per candy (356 kg) for the first time this season on strong demand. Domestic prices are following global futures prices on ICE, which inched up to over 73 cents per pound for July delivery on Friday, the highest since June 2024.
On Friday, the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) increased prices by ₹300 per candy. In the past two weeks, CCI has raised prices by around ₹1,400 per candy and by about ₹4,500 in the past few months.
Published on April 11, 2026
