Gujarat farmers opt for cotton to reap better benefits
17 May '07
1 min read
Cotton seed sowing has begun in Gujarat and experts expect a larger area to be under cultivation this season.
Sources say that the cotton business is attracting farmers of all products, especially groundnut cultivators, because it offers promising results.
Higher cotton prices and forecast of ample yield is tempting groundnut growers to shift to this textile trade.
India is the world's second largest producer of groundnut with Gujarat being one of the key areas.
However, government calculations anticipate that since many farmers will opt for cotton, groundnut production will drop.
Insiders say that demand for seed is growing rapidly and expect that the area under cotton cultivation will expand around 4-5 percent from last year, inturn increasing output this year.