Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule,
around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. Current estimates for world
production are about 25 million tonnes annually, accounting for 2.5% of the world's
arable land. China is the world's largest producer of cotton, but most of this is used
domestically. The United States has been the largest exporter for many years. According
to data compiled by Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), India is expected to produce 374