Area under cotton sowing in the northern States of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan is expected to be 25% lower this year, according to representatives of the cotton sector.
Nishant Asher, secretary of the Indian Cotton Federation, said the current cotton marketing season will end in September and the cotton availability situation is comfortable so far. At present, Indian cotton prices were 5% - 7% higher than international prices. However, the sowing in the three northern States was said to be lower for the next season as farmers were unable to get remunerative prices.
“There is an urgent need to focus on seeds to improve yield so that farmers get better returns,” he said.
According to Pankaj Shardha, a farmer and cotton ginner in Punjab, the three States had 16.25 lakh hectares under cotton for the current marketing season. For the last two or three years, cotton farmers had been affected by pest attacks on the crop, unseasonal rains, and low yield. “The farmers got an average of just about ₹5,500 per quintal while the minimum support price ranged from ₹6,700-7,000 a quintal,” he said. For the next season, the area was down 25% in Punjab and Haryana. In Rajasthan, intense heat waves during the last 15 days in south Rajasthan had affected sowing and there was uncertainty over yield, he added.
K. Selvaraju, secretary general of the Southern India Mills’ Association, said Indian cotton production was expected to be at the estimated level of almost 320 lakh bales in the 2023-2024 cotton season. The average capacity utilisation in textile mills was about 75% and the government should ensure that raw material prices were stable and affordable for the industry.
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