Area under cotton may drop by 35%

11 Jul '16

2 min read

Even as good quality long staple cotton is expected to command impressive prices of up to Rs 6,200 per quintal in January 2017, the area under cotton cultivation in India could drop by one third in the wake of good monsoon this year, according to an analysis by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.

Quoting trade sources, the analysis predicted that the area of cotton in India may decline up to 35 % as the farmers have shifted to crops like groundnut, pulses, paddy and sugarcane.

The white fly attack in major cotton growing regions during last season and the above normal rainfall during monsoon as per the weather forecast had led the farmers to go in for other crops, it said.

The University also forecast the prices cotton is likely to command in December-January 2017 under its Price Forecasting Scheme.

Based on the cotton prices that prevailed in Konganapuram Regulated market in the state for the last 10 years it arrived at the conclusion that the commodity could fetch between Rs 6,000 and Rs 6,200 per quintal for good quality long staple.

It advised state farmers to make their sowing decisions accordingly.

During 2014-15, 0.53 million bales (170 kg a bale) of cotton was produced in Tamil Nadu, while the area under cotton production was 0.1 million ha. Major cotton producing districts in the state were Perambalur, Salem, Trichy, Dharmapuri, Ariyalur and Cuddalore. (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India

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