Delayed and scanty rainfall across cotton growing regions of the country is causing anxious moments for farmers. They have completed sowing on some 45.2 lakh hectares as opposed to 92 lakh hectares last year, which is the worst situation ever for the cotton crop in the last five-six years, SM Kolkatkar, director, Cotton Development Board, Mumbai, and Directorate of Cotton Development told FE.
Dhiren Sheth, president of Cotton Association of India (CII) who also gave out the same estimates, said this is a matter of serious concern although there is still hope for a good crop. ?This is almost half of the normal sowing which was done last year. In 2011 there was a slight delay and even then sowing was completed on around 60 lakh hectares by this time. Farmers still have time till July-August. But this will again impact the lifespan of the crop and productivity. Sowing has been abnormal and therefore production is also likely to be reduced,? Kolhatkar said.
?Even if we have normal rains at a later point and farmers do catch up with sowing, how far we are able to match up to the previous year’s production remains to be seen. Cotton is more resistant to drought and requires little water but this can impact the crop ultimately,? Kolhatkar added.
According to Sheth, delay in the monsoon could see farmers opt for shorter duration crops since cotton is a long duration crop. Kolhatkar, however, said farmers have no other option but to plant cotton since it is a sturdy crop and those in cotton-growing regions would plant cotton.
Cotton sowing can be taken up in Maharashtra till July-end though it can go up to the first week of August in Andhra Pradesh. So far only about 5% of the cotton area of 40 lakh hectares has been covered in Maharashtra.
According to the June estimate for the 2013-14 season released by the Cotton Association of India (CAI), the crop is placed at 395.5. lakh bales as against 356.75 lakh bales in the last season. The opening stock for 2013-14 is estimated at 43.25 lakh bales (54.75 lakh bales), import at 15 lakh bales (14.75 lakh bales) and domestic consumption at 255 lakh bales, as opposed to 252 lakh bales last year. Arrivals as on June 30 are placed at 382.30 lakh bales.
The Cotton Advisory Board has pegged cotton production on the higher side this year at 390 lakh bales compared to 365 lakh bales last year.
The cotton area in North India has decreased to 13 lakh hectares as compared to 15 lakh hectares. Central India has also seen acreage under cotton drop to 71 lakh hectares from 72 lakh hectares. Gujarat has seen a fall in area to 24 lakh hectares from 26 lakh hectares. However, acreage in Maharashtra went up to 41 lakh hectares from 38 lakh hectares.
Planting began last month in Punjab and Haryana, which are irrigated regions, while sowing in the biggest producing states of Gujarat and Maharashtra starts with the onset of monsoon rain.