NEW DELHI (Reuters) – The Indian government has no plan to ban cotton exports as the country has sufficient cotton stocks, the junior textiles minister told parliament on Wednesday 25 November.

The textile industry has demanded restricting cotton exports and banning new export contracts till February, to curb a rise in domestic prices.

"Since there is sufficient stock of cotton in the country, question of banning cotton export doesn't arise at present," Panabaaka Lakshmi said in a written reply.

India exported 3.5 million bales of cotton in the crop year to September 2009, leaving a carry-over stock of 7.15 million bales, she added.

(Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh; Editing by Prem Udayabhanu)