Decision on fresh cotton exports likely today

NEW DELHI: The government is likely to allow fresh cotton exports on Monday, based on revised production and consumption data furnished by the Cotton Advisory Board (CAB).

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Commerce & Textiles Minister Anand Sharma will meet on Monday to take a call on allowing cotton exports this year. "The three of us will meet tomorrow to re-assess the situation based on fresh numbers furnished by the CAB," Sharma said at a press conference on Sunday.

Sharma met the finance minister on Friday to discuss the export ban in the light of the new data, but a final decision on exports could not be taken as Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar could not attend the meeting.

Both the agriculture ministry and the CAB have revised upwards the cotton production estimates for cotton year ending September 30 to about 35.2 million bales (170 kg each) and 34.7 million bales, respectively.