The Hindu Business Line : Bad weather hits Gujarat cotton yield

Gandhinagar, April 17 Inclement weather witnessed a couple of weeks ago in Gujarat has led to a reduction in the cotton crop from the estimated 125 lakh bales (of 170 kg) to 90 lakh-100 lakh bales but it would still be a record production.

Last year, Gujarat produced 92 lakh bales of cotton. With the cash crop of groundnut being replaced by Bt cotton variety over the last few years in the State, Gujarat has seen its cotton production share in the country go up from 17 per cent in 2001-02 to 40 per cent in 2007-08, official sources told Business Line here.

The area under cotton has increased from 16 lakh hectares in 2003-04 to 25 lakh hectares in 2007-08, whereas the area under groundnut has decreased from nearly 20 lakh hectares to 16 lakh hectares during the period.

Even Maharashtra farmers come to Gujarat to sell their cotton as they get better price appreciation in this State, sources said.

The State officials are now targeting to increase productivity using genetically-modified varieties, micro-irrigation and increasing sowing area under hybrid cotton to 13 lakh hectares, besides improving productivity of desi cotton by seed replacement and providing assistance for seed to farmers. In 2005-06, Gujarat had the highest productivity, 728 kg per hectare, compared to the next three cotton-growing states, viz. Tamil Nadu (688 kg/ha), Punjab (641 kg/ha) and Madhya Pradesh (510 kg/ha). Gujarat’s sowing area is second only to Maharashtra but productivity is less in the latter (212 kg/ha). Sixty per cent of the cotton sowing area in Gujarat is unirrigated, while 40 per cent is under hybrid seed usage.

Consumption up

Cotton consumption has increased in 2006-07 to 148 million bales globally. Of this, China accounted for 55 million bales, India 21.68 million bales and Pakistan 15.21 million bales as centres of production of apparel and garments gradually shifted from the West to the East. sCotton alone contributes 7.50 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and more than six crore people in the country are engaged, directly or indirectly, the sources added.

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