According to the ICAC's latest forecast report (January 2016), this year's Southern hemisphere planting,  which began in September 2015 and continued into early 2016,  typically accounts for 8-10% of global production in the current year,  and is expected to increase to 11% this year. Despite the fall in world cotton prices,  Southern Hemisphere growers remain enthusiastic,  and the Southern Hemisphere cotton area is expected to increase by 1% to 2.9 million hectares in 2015/16. But southern hemisphere production fell to 2.5 million acres, down 2%. Due to the increase in dryland planting this year, Australia's planted area is expected to double to more than 300,000 hectares, but with yields reduced to 1,867 kg/ha, Australia's 2015/16 production is expected to be 560,000 tonnes, an increase of only 11%.。
   

         The forecast shows that the consumption of textile enterprises in 2015/16 is unchanged from the previous year, at 24.3 million tons, the trend of cotton prices is the same as in 2014/15, while polyester fiber prices continue to fall. China's textile consumption has gradually stabilized since 2010/11, at 7.5 million tons in 2014/15, but will decline by 3% to 7.3 million tons in 2015/16. India's use increased by about 3 percent to 5.5 million tons, while Pakistan's use decreased by 12 percent to 2.2 million tons.

         In 2015/16, world cotton consumption will exceed annual production, but cotton supplies remain abundant. Ending stocks for 2015/16 are expected to remain at 20.6 million tonnes, of which 58% are in China. World cotton imports fell 4% to 7.3 million tonnes. Imports of cotton from outside China rose 6% to 6.1 million tons, but the increase was not enough to offset the decline in imports from China. In 2015/16, Chinese imports are expected to fall by 34 per cent to 1.2 million tonnes.