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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Cotton acreage to rise 15% in Punjab, Haryana by Madhvi Sally

Cotton acreage to rise 15% in Punjab, Haryana by Madhvi Sally

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published Published on Mar 24, 2011   modified Modified on Mar 24, 2011
Farmers with irrigated fields in Punjab and Haryana will start sowing cotton in a fortnight. Agriculture department officials estimate a 10% to 15% increase in acreage this season as cotton has become more lucrative than paddy, basmati and pulses.

Government's paddy procuring agencies and basmati exporters don't think that the staple's production will take a hit.

"We estimate the area under cotton across the country to increase by 15% and prices will see a correction in the new season," said Cotton Association of India president Dhiren Sheth.

According to the revised estimates by the Cotton Advisory Board on February 26 this year for the cotton season 2010-11, acreage was at 111.61 lakh hectare with an average yield 475.23 kg per hectare and a production of 312 lakh bales.

With wheat harvesting to begin in a fortnight across Punjab and Haryana, farmers are preparing for sowing cotton. In major cotton-growing states of Gujarat and Maharashtra, sowing will begin after the rainy season.

"We are targeting to increase the area under cotton by 50,000-60,000 hectare this year covering 5.5-5.6 lakh hectare. The government has been working to divert the cropping pattern from paddy to cotton with depleting water table," said Punjab agriculture joint director Tarsem Singh. Production figures are expected to be at 25 lakh bales (one bale=170 kg) compared to 20 lakh bales in 2010.

In Haryana too, cotton acreage is targetted to touch 6 lakh hectare from 4.92 lakh hectare in the previous year, according to Haryana additional director agriculture BS Duggal. Production is expected to be 20 lakh bales compared to 17.44 lakh bales in the year 2010-11.

In Maharashtra, the area is expected to increase by 10% this year. Sowing was done on 40 lakh hectare in 2010, of which irrigated farms constituted only 2% to 3%. "The area under summer cotton may go up by about 10% due to good water levels in the reservoirs and wells," said Maharashtra agriculture director (extension) Jayant Deshmukh.

However, acreage under cotton in Gujarat is not expected to see a major increase. "Farmers have to spend more while sowing cotton starting from seed to fertiliser. Hence we don't see an exponential increase in the acreage," said Gujarat's principal secretary, agriculture, RK Tripathi while adding that sowing will begin by the third week of May on over 26 lakh hectare after pre-monsoon showers.

Surinder Ahuja, a 71-year-old farmer who has been planting Bt cotton on 50 acre in Hisar, and 10 acres in Fazilka, Punjab, since the past four years, will be increasing the area this year by 25%.

"In the next 15 days, after wheat is harvested, sowing of cotton will begin. The returns have been very good and we hope the weather remains predictable," he said adding that the main concern was on seed procurement which were in short supply. Farmers rue that seed prices might increase further from the previous year.

(With inputs from Jayashree Bhosale)

The Economic Times, 23 March, 2011, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/commodities/cotton-acreage-to-rise-15-in-punjab-haryana/articleshow/7767104.cms


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