
Cotton prices fell below 81 cents per pound after reaching a one-week high on July 23rd, as easing weather concerns dampened expectations of tighter supplies. In India, a revival in monsoon rains accelerated cotton planting, after the having arrived three days late. Following its fifth driest June on record, the country’s rainfall deficit narrowed to 16% from nearly 40% at the end of June, as widespread rains in recent weeks helped provide rain-fed irrigation to farmland’s, easing fears of a supply shortfall. Meanwhile, lower oil prices weighed on demand, reducing cotton’s competitiveness against polyester fibers. However, India’s cotton-sown area was still down 4% year-on-year at 9.87 million hectares, reflecting slower planting across several major producing states. In Brazil, growers are expected to reduce cotton planted area by 4% in the 2025/26 season despite record exports in 2024/25, as weaker prices discouraged acreage expansion.





