MUMBAI (Commoditiescontrol)- Cotton farmers of Punjab, a key cotton grower in north India, were worried last year and they reduced the area under crop because the produce couldn’t fetch reasonable prices for them. The devastating attacks by white fly added to their woes causing great losses to the cotton crop. Apart from fake cotton seed also damaged the crop.
Commoditiescontrol spoke to cotton seed dealers, farmers, cotton mills operators and agriculture officers in Punjab and drew their observation and experience and further anticipation of cotton farming in the upcoming season.
Rakesh Rathi, President, Indian Cotton Association Limited (ICAL), foresees lower cotton coverage this year in Punjab as compared to last year. Cotton growers in the state suffered heavy losses by white fly attacks on cotton crop, said Rathi. Besides, they couldn’t get reasonable prices for their crop, hence, farmers can think for cultivation of other crops instead of cotton, he added. He anticipated a decline by 5-7 percent in cotton acreage this year in Punjab.
According to Rathi, “Paddy more or less fetches fixed or reasonable rates, hence, farmers may shift to paddy farming.”
However, he guessed an increase in cotton area in Rajasthan and Haryana this year due to proper availability of irrigation facilities.
Naresh Bansal, Bansal Industries, Abohar anticipated as much farm land under cotton crop as it was last year in Punjab as there is no option for the farmers other than cotton cultivation.
According to him, “Farmers have fascinated to desi cotton farming this year as BT cotton caused them a major losses last year, obviously, acreage of BT cotton will shift around 5-10 percent to desi cotton. We worked on only 20 percent of our capacity last year which may improve this year, said Bansal. However, actual working capacity of mills may be decided after getting the correct figures of output in coming season, he added.
Sukhbir Sodhi, Field Officer, Agriculture Department, Bathinda informed that cotton seed sowing has already begun in the Malwa region after April 15 and arrangement of irrigation has been made as canals are repaired and cleaned.
According to him, electricity will be provided to the farmers for eight hours as the government is committed to remove all hurdles and resolve the problems of farmers in the state.
Baljinder Singh, a Journalist from Bathinda said, “A group of scientists had visited Bathinda and nearby area for a survey who, unofficially, guessed losses to be increased by 2 percent in BT cotton cultivation.”
Ramesh Garg, cottonseed dealer and Chief Ramesh Corporation, Bathinda doubted the enthusiasm of farmers for cotton farming. According to him, farmers are currently, buying BT cotton, but they are not showing so much ferver for cotton cultivation as sale of BT cotton has not gathered momentum.
White fly attacks caused heavy losses to cotton crop last year, that is the reason, farmers are discouraged, he said.
Ramesh anticipated cotton acreage to fall by 20-30 percent this year in Punjab. According to him, farmers are taking more interest in paddy crop farming as there is least chance of heavy loss in paddy crop, besides, it fetches reasonable prices.
Apart from that farming cost of cotton crop is much higher, hence, farmers have to suffer losses in case of low yield.
Om Dhameeja, cottonseed dealer and Chief Jamidara Pesticides, Abohar also anticipated low acreage of cotton in Punjab this year as farmers have shifted from cotton cultivation after getting low yield last year. The devastating attacks of white fly witnessed last year has discouraged the farmers to grow cotton and they have made up their mind to decrease cotton area, said Dhameeja. According to him, cotton acreage may fall by 15-20 percent in the state.
According to him, farmers are seen interested to cultivate paddy instead of cotton, however, some cotton growers have fascinated toward Desi cotton seed farming as they are buying its seed enthusiastically which resulted in a little bit higher sale of Desi cotton seed.
Gaurishankar, a farmer from Dhingawali village in Abohar, has decided to reduce the area of cotton crop area this year. He had cultivated seven acres of cotton last year but his crop was ruined by the white fly attacks, that is why, he has decided to grow cotton in 2-3 acres only this year. He has planned to grow guar, arhar and paddy in rest of the land he has to cultivate.
“Many farmers have decided to decrease cotton crop area as it costs much and they always remain anxious about crop loss but this doesn’t apply for other crops, also they fetch good prices” said Gaurishankar.
Ravinder Singh, a farmer and resident of Jeriawali village in Mansa district has to say farmers don’t have options other than growing cotton as there is salty water in the area.
Ravinder has around 60 acres of land out of which he grows kinnow and guava himself and leases out 50 acres for farming of crops. Cotton is to be grown this year in the land leased out by him as there is no chance of other crops there, said Ravinder. Farmers had tried other crops like pulse seeds and paddy but yield was very low, hence they are bound to cultivate cotton.
(By Commoditiescontrol Bureau; +91-22-40015533)
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