Mumbai

Cotton exports are expected to rise by 21.27 per cent to 70 lakh bales (170 kg each) during the 2015-16 season, mostly due to rise in demand from Pakistan, a senior official said today.

Exports during the previous cotton season, which begins from October 1, stood at 57.72 lakh bales, Textile Commissioner Kavita Gupta told reporters here.

“The demand in Pakistan has grown due to crop damage in Punjab region. Almost 33 per cent of cotton crop in Pakistan has been damaged from whitefly. In the first three months till December 31, Pakistan has already imported 16.60 lakh bales from India, while it had imported overall 3.79 lakh bales in the entire year of 2014-15,” she said.

This year, Pakistan will overtake Bangladesh as the top importer of Indian cotton, she added.

Gupta said output is estimated at 352 lakh bales in 2015-16, compared to 380 lakh bales in the previous season mainly on account of crop damage in Punjab due to whitefly, white ball worm in Gujarat and drought in Karnataka.

The production in Punjab is expected to be 9 lakh bales this season from 12 lakh bales last year, while in Gujarat, it will be 101 lakh bales from 108 lakh bales and in Karnataka, it is estimated to be 20 lakh bales from 31.50 lakh bales earlier.

Meanwhile, the Textile Commissioner has formed a five-member committee that will look into best practices in the sector and will submit a report in six months.

“The purpose of this committee is to look at research and innovation, best practices and their replicability and techniques of conserving water, among other things, that will help in making cotton growing more sustainable,” Gupta added.

PTI