India Oct raw cotton exports soars-source

MUMBAI, Nov 4 (Reuters) - India's raw cotton exports in October shot up 293 percent to 115,637 bales (of 170 kg each) over the corresponding period the previous year, a government official said on Wednesday.

The cotton marketing year is from October to September.

"Overseas demand is back in track mainly from China where crop size is expected to be lower," the official in the Ministry of Textiles, who didn't wish to be quoted, said.

World cotton output is forecast to drop by 5 percent, or 1.1 million tonnes, to 22.3 million tonnes in 2009/10, dragged by China, where the crop is projected to drop by 16 percent to 6.75 million tonnes, an international farm group said on Monday. See [nN02465282]

(Reporting by Sourav Mishra; Editing by Prem Udayabhanu)