Rabobank expects cotton futures on the Intercontinental Exchange to decline in the long term due to expectations of a rise in the area under the crop globally in 2017-18. the July cotton contract on ICE is trading at 79.17 cents a pound, down 0.3 cents. prices are anticipated to come under pressures as excellent global prices incentivise area expansion, global cotton acreage is expected to rise 4% in 2017-18 led by the US, China India, and Pakistan. The market expects 2017-18 US cotton acreage to be in the range of 11-12 million acres, while Rabobank sees it at 11.3 million acres.