However, the area under cotton in Ganganagar tracts in Rajasthan has been retained, Nica said in its newsletter.

Area under cotton cultivation in Punjab had declined by 20-25 per cent this year to 5.50 lakh hectares, while acreage in Haryana had slid by 10-15 per cent to 5.70 lakh hectares.

In Ganganagar, 4.90 lakh hectares of land had been brought under cotton cultivation, the same as last year, the association said.

In a report on cotton sowing, the East India Cotton Association (EICA) has said it had progressed smoothly with adequate release of water from north India canals facilitating crop growth.

Sowing in other areas of the country like Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh had begun, EICA said in a report.

Meanwhile, the textile industry has expressed concern over the shift to Bengal desi cotton cultivation from staple cotton by Punjab and Haryana farmers. It fears that mills could face shortage of staple cotton required primarily for spinning better count yarns.

North India Textile Mills' Association (Nitma) raw materials committee chairman Vinod Ahuja said that growers had shifted to Bengal desi cotton cultivation as the risk involved in it was less.

Though the staple cotton fetches better price, it was more prone to pest attack than Bengal desi cotton, he said.

Moreover, Bengal desi matures earlier than staple cotton thus ensuring quick returns.

Bengal desi cotton, a non-spinnable variety, is exclusively grown in north India and of late, it is being used for denim production.

As far as dip in cotton cultivation area in Punjab was concerned, he said flooding in some low-lying areas had forced farmers to shift to rice cultivation.

On the other hand, with arrivals complete in north India, latest figures reveal sharp fall in north India cotton production.

Production in north India, which makes up 30 per cent of total production in the country, has declined to 25.69 lakh bales (of 170 kg) this season (October 1997-September 1998) from 42.84 lakh bales last season.