Cotton prices in the spot market have increased 2.5% in a week, a development that traders attributed in part to widespread belief that the output for 2017-18 would be less than 370 lakh bales although the Cotton Advisory Board has forecast 377 lakh bales in its first estimate. From r earlier estimate of 400 lakh bales, the trade expects production to fall to 340 lakh bales,” said president of the Jalgaon Ginning and Pressing Association. Concerns about crop quality have also impacted prices. “Of late, instances of rejections of cotton bales by buyers have increased,”.