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Cotton acreage dips as pests scare farmers |
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CHANDIGARH: Cotton acreage is likely to drop by 20% in season 2016-17 in Punjab and Haryana compared to the last season as the wary farmers opt for other Kharif crops after bearing heavy crop damage due to whitefly pest attack in the last season. The cotton output dropped by 40-45% in the two states in season 2015-16 as the national output also estimated to dip by 12 per compared to last Kharif season, as per estimated of Cotton Association of India .
"Scare of whitefly has turned away many farmers from sowing cotton this year," says Suresh Kumar Gahlawat, joint director, Agriculture Department Haryana. the state was targeting to bring 6 lakh hectares under cotton compared to 5.83 lakh hectares under the crop in the last season.
Cotton sowing begins almost a month ahead in Haryana and Punjab compared to Central and Southern cotton zones in the country. In Punjab the area under cotton is expected to come down by 35-40 % this year compared to five lakh hectares in the last year.
In Punjab the cotton sowing has also been affected by less availability of canal water in major cotton growing districts of Muktsar and Fazilka. The acreage could fall by 55,000 hectares as water supply was curtailed due to repair work of canals in the districts.
"Last year, a large number of farmers in North had to spend extra in re-sowing of cotton after whitefly and unfavourable weather damaged the saplings. Since sowing costs are high in cotton farmers are not willing to take the risk," says Rakesh Rathi, president, Indian Cotton Association Limited. Rathi complemented the intensive awareness campaign by government and industry to curb the menace of whitefly.
Shift from cotton also noticeable in upper Rajasthan, is unlikely to be replicated in other cotton growing states, feel experts.
"Spike in price of cotton in last six months will entice farmers to grow cotton," says I J Dhuria, director materials Vardhman Textiles Limited.
"The cotton prices started picking in December after the Gujarat government announced bonus to boost the cotton market suppressed by the surplus in the global market," he says.
Also, the record cotton exports to Pakistan and Bangladesh this season had sustained the cotton market, says Dhuria. While exports to Bangladesh will continue but the crop in Pakistan will influence export to the country, he maintained.
Decline in raw cotton imports by China in the recent year had transformed the market. "There are rumours that China may allow import of cotton this year but the country has been following policy of domestic procurement of cotton in the recent years," says Dhuria, who handles cotton inventories for Vardhman Textiles Limited, which is the largest exporter of cotton yarn to China.
The cotton output is estimated at 341.5 lakh bales for season 2015-16 by the Cotton Association of India compared to initial estimate of record output of 384 lakh bales. The output estimates have been reduced thrice as the output fell due to widespread whitefly attack in North and damage due to pink ball worm in major producer states of Gujarat and Maharashtra. In the Central zone including states of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh the output has come down by 18 per cent over the last year and shortfall of 22 per cent in Southern states of Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh is estimated by the CAI.
"The total cotton arrivals this season upto the month of April are estimated at 302.40 lakh bales, which constitute around 89% of the total estimated crop," says April estimate by Cotton Association of India. Indian cotton arrival extends till September.
This season higher yield in cotton would take care of fall in area under the crop, says Mahesh Sharda, president North India Cotton Association. "The monsoon is expected to be normal this year and it will boost the crop," he maintained. He said that the government and industry has conducted intensive awareness campaign for farmers to curb whitefly menace.
Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com
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