Rains may affect cotton output, quality

17 Sep '11

2 min read

Rains during end part of last month and early this month is likely to affect both the production and quality of cotton crop in Punjab and Haryana.

Around 90,000 hectares of cotton field is affected by rain in Punjab alone, decreasing the prospects of reaping a bumper harvest this season.

In the neighbouring Haryana, it is estimated that rains have devastated around 10 percent of the overall area under cotton cultivation.

According to analysts, it is not only the production, but also the quality of the crop that is likely to get affected by rains.

Moreover, continued rains may also impede harvesting, leading to late arrival of crops in the market.

According to scientists, rains can harm the crops as the bolls on the lower side begin to rot. For initially cultivated varieties of crops, as the bolls have started opening, it could adversely affect the quality of the crop.

The two States were expecting to reap bumper harvest during the current year, as the cotton cultivation acreage has gone up in both the States following a rise in returns last year.

For the current season, the two States were together expecting to produce around five million bales (1 bale = 170 kg) of cotton, as against last season's production of 3.9 million bales, up by 30 percent.

Cotton cultivation acreage in Punjab is reported to have increased from last year's 483,000 hectares to 550,000 hectares. Likewise, in Haryana too, it has gone up from last year's 492,000 hectares to 605,000 hectares.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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