In addition to Egyptian cotton, Australian cotton too has made sufficient inroads in Indian textile mills. Indonesia, Japan, Thailand are other major importers of Australian cotton.

Australia, which is expanding its cotton cultivation to newer areas in addition to experimenting with the genetically modified Bt cotton (from seeds supplied by Monsanto), is currently on a marketing spree. A six-member team led by Australian Cotton Shippers Association (ACSA) chairman Cliff White was here this week visiting cotton trade representatives in Delhi, Coimbtore and Mumbai. The team had visited Lahore (in Pakistan) and will visit Bangladesh next week.

Invited by the Australia's cotton community, a delegation from the Japanese Spinners Association too had visited the cotton growing regions of Australia during the first week of this month. Cotton exports last year fetched the country $ 1.60 billion.

Speaking to newspersons on Thursday in Coimbtore Mr Cliff said: ``We expect a crop of between 3.20 million Australian bales (of 227 kg each) to 3.40 mn bales for the current season. Our crop has been steady at over the last three years and we expected a record crop this year.''

Australia's cotton growers and industry expects the country's 2001 crop to be little over last year's 3.20 million Australian bales (of 227 kg each).

Though Australia had expected a record high in production for the current season (2000-'01), a revision of crop estimates became necessary following flooding, especially in the Gwydir Valley where 25 per cent of the crop is reported to have been washed away.

Even as the world crop estimates for the current season were lower, cotton production in some countries including Australia was expected to record new highs. Cotton production in India is estimated to be lower at around 155 lakh Indian bales (of 170 kg each). The Cotton Advisory Board (CAB) is meeting on Saturday to assess the crop for the current season which industry expects could finally be around 150 lakh bales.

However, Australia expects exports of its cotton to remain vibrant during the year.

Said Mr White: ``We anticipate India to import around 4 lakh to 5 lakh bales of Australian cotton during the current season against last season's import of 2.50 lakh bales.'' The expectations of the Australian shippers has to be viewed in the light of CAB and industry estimates of a lower total cotton imports of around 15 lakh bales (22 lakh bales) into the country during the current season.

Speaking at a seminar in Mumbai, Indian Cotton Mills Federation chairman BK Patodia said: ``Because of high contamination in Indian cotton, many Indian mills have switched over to buying Australian cotton and therefore, we promise to buy more of Australian cotton as it is contamination free." ``We are looking for long term relationship with existing and emerging markets.

We expect India to be a consistent market for our cotton,'' said Mr Dorcen Walters, director of the Walters Cotton Company. The delegation consisted of representatives from Queensland Cotton, Colly Farms, Dunavant, Walters and Cotton Australia.