Shankar-6 vs MCU-5 Cotton Bales | Buyer's Comparison

Shankar-6 and MCU-5 are two of India's main raw cottons for export, alongside DCH-32. They are not interchangeable: they differ in staple length, fineness and strength, and suit different yarn counts. This page explains the practical difference and the specification our bales are graded to.

Shankar-6

Shankar-6 is India's benchmark export cotton, grown mainly in Gujarat with production in other central and western states. It is the general-purpose variety that spinning mills buy for mainstream apparel and home-textile counts. The trade usually offers it at a staple of 28 to 30 mm, and it is commonly spun into 30s to 40s counts.

MCU-5

MCU-5 is a longer, finer and stronger cotton grown in parts of central, western and southern India. It is bought where finer counts and higher strength are needed, such as premium apparel and combed yarns. It is usually offered at 30 to 32 mm and commonly spun into 40s to 60s counts.

DCH-32

DCH-32 is the third export variety we carry, the finest and longest of the three, for speciality counts.

The specification we grade to

All three varieties are graded to one published fibre specification on our cotton bales page. The same ranges apply across the varieties; a specific lot's exact values are stated on its test report.

• Staple length: 25–32 mm.
• Micronaire: 3.5–4.9.
• Fibre strength: 22–30 g/tex.
• Trash content: below 4%.
• Moisture: below 8.5%.
• Bale weight: about 170 kg, the standard Indian bale.

Packing

Export bales are pressed and wrapped in cotton cloth and strapped for container loading. Cotton cloth, not polypropylene, is what protects the fibre; synthetic wrapping is itself the contaminant spinning mills watch for. Bale marking is to the buyer's specification.

Price

Indian cotton is priced per candy of 356 kg and moves with the variety, the staple and the season. Our cotton bale price guide explains how a quotation is built, and the daily raw cotton price shows where the market is today.

Request a quotation

State the variety, quantity in metric tonnes or bales, destination port and delivery term, and the staple or micronaire range your mill needs. Contact [email protected] or WhatsApp +91 98508 53511. Final fibre properties are those on the offered lot's test report and agreed in the contract.