COTTON UPDATE - Heavy rains dash Telangana farmers’ cotton hopes - Though a late monsoon delayed rains and sowings, Telangana farmers sowed cotton in a record 46-47 lakh acres as subsequent rains gave them a big hope for a bumper crop. The fibre output was expected to be around 45-50 lakh bales as against 36-40 lakh bales in a normal year. But incessant rains in the last five-six weeks have dashed their hopes.