In a monthly update of its annual cotton supply, demand and pricing forecast, the International Cotton Advisory Council (ICAC) said world cotton production for the upcoming cotton year is forecast at 25.2 million tons, virtually unchanged from the 25.3 million tons on track for this year .. Production in China is forecast to decline slightly to 6.5 million tons, still the second largest harvest to date. U.S. cotton production, however, is forecast to slide at a double-digit pace next year, falling by 10% to an estimated 4.3 million tons. Picking up some of the slack, production in India is expected to rise slightly, to a record 4.7 million tons. . . But demand continues to grow, said the cotton growers’ cartel, putting upward pressure on prices. Worldwide consumption of cotton is projected to increase by 2% during the upcoming cotton year, to 26.7 million tons, “still driven by Chinese mill use,” said the cotton growers. . . “International cotton trade is expected to rebound from 8.5 million tons in 2006/07 to 9.2 million tons in 2007/08, driven by an expected rebound in Chinese imports.” . . Source: hometextilestoday.com

Date:5/21/2007

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