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Dhimant Bhatt

Mumbai , Aug.11

COTTON production in Gujarat is likely to touch the one-crore-bale-mark in the 2005-06 (October-September) season as productivity is likely to increase, thanks to Bt cotton, and farmers shifting to cotton in some areas from pulses and oilseeds, trade sources said.

Total cotton acreage in the country is estimated to be 90 lakh hectares during the current season, while acreage in Gujarat 20 lakh hectares.

"The outlook for the new season is most optimistic and estimates in the Gujarat cotton trade circle are already putting it at one-crore-bale-mark for the coming season," Mr Mitesh Shah, a Gujarat-based cotton trader, told Business Line.

Total acreage under cotton crop in the State has increased 22 per cent to 19.92 lakh hectares as on August 8 from 16.28 lakh hectares during the same period last season, according to official figures available from Department of Agriculture, Gujarat.

"Some farmers have shifted from pulses and oilseeds to cotton in Saurashtra and north Gujarat, some from sugarcane and pulses to cotton in central and south Gujarat and even from tobacco to cotton in the Charotar area," he said.

"Bt cotton is giving them more ginning out-turn. The erstwhile hybrid variety used to give around 32-33 per cent cotton lint while Bt cotton is giving an average 36 per cent lint out-turn, which is huge," another trader said.

Total production estimates are being put at over 240 lakh bales all over the country and production in Gujarat is estimated at 73 lakh bales.

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