The cotton industry has revised its production estimate for the current crop season 2024-25, reducing it by 2.50 lakh bales. The new estimate is 301.75 lakh bales (1 bale = 170 kg of cotton), down from the previous estimate of 304.25 lakh bales. In the previous crop season 2023-24, India produced 325.29 lakh bales of cotton. According to the Cotton Association of India (CAI), production in the northern states of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan is expected to be 2.50 lakh bales lower than earlier projections. In Gujarat, production is expected to be 5 lakh bales less than previously forecast, while Telangana is expected to produce 5 lakh bales more than the earlier estimate. In Punjab, cotton production is estimated at 1.50 lakh bales, Haryana at 8.30 lakh bales, and Rajasthan (both upper and lower regions) at 18.20 lakh bales. In central India, Gujarat is expected to produce 75 lakh bales, Maharashtra 90 lakh bales, and Madhya Pradesh 19 lakh bales. In southern India, Telangana is expected to produce 47 lakh bales, Andhra Pradesh 11 lakh bales, Karnataka 23 lakh bales, and Tamil Nadu 4 lakh bales. Odisha and other states are expected to produce 2.75 lakh bales and 2 lakh bales, respectively. According to CAI, the leftover stock of cotton on 1st October 2024 was 30.19 lakh bales. It is expected that around 26 lakh bales of cotton will be imported during the current season, bringing the total availability to 357.94 lakh bales. Domestic consumption for the season is estimated at 315 lakh bales, with an expected export of 17 lakh bales. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, cotton sowing has decreased by 14 lakh hectares, with a total area of 112.90 lakh hectares sown, compared to 126.90 lakh hectares last year. The initial estimate from the Ministry indicates that cotton production for the season will be 299.26 lakh bales, which is lower than the 325.22 lakh bales produced in the previous season.