TNAU forecasts cotton prices for the upcoming harvesting season.

The DEMIC analytical center at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has presented a pre-season price forecast for cotton. Specialists based their analysis on market quote data recorded at the Mulanur regulated market over the past 20 years. The presented price range of 75–80 rupees per kilogram is intended to help farmers make informed decisions before the start of sowing.

India holds a leading global position in terms of cotton sowing area, and it also ranks second in the production and consumption of this raw material. According to the second advance estimates of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare for 2025–26, the total area under the crop in the country reached 114.82 lakh hectares. Production volume is estimated at 49.455 lakh tonnes with an average yield of 431 kg per hectare. The main producing regions are Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.

In the state of Tamil Nadu, 1.02 lakh hectares of land were allocated for cotton in the 2024–25 season, which resulted in a harvest of 3.80 lakh tonnes with a productivity of 350 kg per hectare. The key cultivation districts here are Thiruvarur, Virudhunagar, Mayiladuthurai, Ramanathapuram, Tiruchirappalli, and Salem, and the most common cultivars are Bt-hybrids, Varalaxmi, and Suvin.

Industry representatives note that the final prices may be subject to adjustment. They could be influenced by the performance of the southwest monsoon, as well as the volumes of raw material arrivals from other states. Additionally, TNAU experts point to the El Niño climatic phenomenon as a factor that could affect monsoon rainfall and, consequently, the price of cotton.

Today, India acts as a major producer and exporter of cotton products. Imports of raw materials into the country account for less than 10% of total domestic consumption and are carried out primarily to meet highly specialized quality requirements of the textile industry.