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Punjab must diversify its cotton supply before the planting season.As the cotton sowing season approaches in April, Punjab faces a challenge in diversifying its kharif crop, with no dedicated plan yet in place.Cotton acreage in Punjab has been on a steady decline since 2021-22, hitting the lowest of 95,000 hectares in 2024. Punjab agriculture director Jaswant Singh said efforts are being made to encourage farmers to return to cotton cultivation, with the government standing in support.“The last four kharif seasons have been extremely challenging for cotton farmers, with acreage shrinking significantly. Pest attacks have escalated input costs, making farmers hesitant due to economic concerns. However, we aim to increase cotton acreage to 1.5 lakh hectares in the 2025-26 season,” said Singh.Despite the declining trend, the state has not yet introduced a concrete plan to incentivise farmers in the semi-arid districts of the south Malwa region, many of whom have shifted to water-intensive rice farming over the past four years.“We will ensure timely canal water supply for irrigation during summer. The subsidy on cotton seeds is also expected to continue. Additionally, we have started the annual exercise of mass weed removal and safe disposal of cotton straws in the cotton-growing districts,” Singh added.Cotton sowing will begin soon after the rabi crop harvest of wheat and mustard in April, and experts at Punjab Agricultural University recommend completing sowing by May 15.Data shows a steady decline in Punjab’s cotton acreage. in 2021, it was 2.52 lakh hectares, 2.48 lakh hectares in 2022, 1.73 lakh hectares in 2023 and it plunged to 95,000 hectares in 2004, the lowest ever.In 2020, Punjab recorded a bumper cotton production of about 50 lakh quintals, but multiple challenges over the following years drove farmers away from the crop, particularly in the southwest belt of the state.Progressive cotton grower Baldev Singh from Bajak village in Bathinda expressed optimism about a shift back to cotton, especially after difficulties in paddy procurement in 2024.“If the chief minister ensures timely seed availability and canal water supply, we still have two months to prepare, and cotton acreage can be regained,” he said.Bathinda chief agriculture officer Jagsir Singh attributed the sharp decline in cotton cultivation to pest infestations, unfavourable climatic conditions, and irrigation challenges.“Irrigation issues over the last four seasons led to economic losses for cotton farmers, prompting them to switch to paddy cultivation where tubewell irrigation was available. Now, we are working to bring them back to cotton farming,” he added.read more :-Rupee opens 13 paise up at 86.58 against US dollar

At 86.58, the rupee is up 13 paise against the US dollar.The Indian rupee on Monday opened 13 paise higher at 86.58 against the US dollar, as against the close at 86.71 on Friday. read more :-Cotton Faces Outside Pressure on Friday

On Friday, Cotton Will Face External Pressure Cotton futures posted losses on Friday, with front months down 11 to 16 points at the close. March was down 103 points this week. The outside markets were pressure factors to close out the week. Crude oil futures were down $2.18/barrel, with the US dollar index $0.276 higher. CFTC data via the weekly Commitment of Traders report showed a total of 3,095 contracts trimmed by the spec traders from their net short in cotton futures and options as of 2/18 to 57,386 contracts.  The Friday morning Export Sales report showed upland cotton bookings totaling 312,452 RB in the week of 2/13, a 4-week high. Vietnam was the buyer of 109,400 RB, with Pakistan at 64,800 RB. Export Shipments totaled 298,278 RB, a MY high. Vietnam was also the largest destination of 85,100 RB, with 49,700 RB to Pakistan. Combined shipped and unshipped sales have totaled 9.443 million RB, which is down 10% from last year. That is also 92% of USDA’s forecast, matching the average sales pace for this time of year. USDA will release their initial arm chair estimates for the 2025 cotton crop in their Outlook Forum next week. A survey of analysts by Bloomberg shows an average of 10 million planted acres for cotton this year, with a range of 8.8 to 10.8 million acres and down from 11.2 million last year. ICE cotton stocks were unchanged on 2/20 at 1,732 bales of certified stocks. The Seam tallied 4,747 bales in February 20 online sales, with an average price of 59.07 cents/lb. The Cotlook A Index was back down 110 points on Thursday at 78.30 cents/lb. The USDA raised their Adjusted World Price (AWP) again on Thursday by 68 points to 54.67 cents/lb.read more :-Indian Rupee lower 16 Paisa, Ends at 86.71 per Dollar

Indian Rupee ends at 86.71 per dollar, down 16 rupees.The Indian rupee closed at 86.71 per dollar, lower 16 paise, after opening at 86.55 on Friday morning.The Sensex was down 424.90 points or 0.56 percent at 75,311.06, and the Nifty was down 117.25 points or 0.51 percent at 22,795.90. About 1625 shares advanced, 2169 shares declined, and 111 shares unchanged.read more :-Farmers advised to start early cotton sowing

Farmers are encouraged to begin planting cotton early.FAISALABAD  -  The agriculture experts have advised the farmers to commence early sowing of cotton crops by availing special incentives package announced by the government for cultivation of cotton on five acres or more land.A spokesman for Agriculture (Extension) Department said that Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Maryam Nawaz introduced a special package to encourage early cotton cultivation. Under this program, the farmers would receive Rs.25,000 if they cultivated cotton on five acres of their land. This amount would be transferred directly into their accounts via CM Punjab Kisan Card, he added. He said that the agriculture department also issued comprehensive recommendations for early cotton sowing and balanced application of fertilizers and other agrochemicals so that the growers could get maximum yield with minimum input cost.He said that the span from February 15 to March 31 is considered most suitable for early cotton cultivation due to temperature conditions. Hence, the farmers are advised to start early sowing of cotton crops immediately and complete it timely for getting bumper production. He said that growers should use seed of only approved and certified triple-gene cotton varieties otherwise they may have to face financial loss due to application of glyphosate which can kill non-triple-gene plants. He said that 2.5 feet space between the rows and 1.5 to 2 feet space between the plants are imperative for proper plant growth. The growers should also use 4 to 6 kilograms seed per acre if they want to get 50 to 60 maunds production, he added.About use of agrochemicals, he said that fertilizers play a pivotal role in increasing soil fertility if it were used proportionately because excessive use can cause destruction to the crop, he added. He advised that the farmers should apply 2 bags of DAP, 4.25 bags of Urea and 1.5 bag of SOP or 1.25 bag of MOP per acre for weak soil. In medium soil, the suggested fertilizer ratio is 1.75 bag of DAP, 3.75 bags of Urea and 1.5 bag of SOP or 1.25 bag of MOP per acre whereas for fertile soil, the advised quantity included 1.5 bag of DAP, 3.25 bags of Urea and 1.5 bag of SOP or 1.25 bag of MOP per acre, he added. He said that all phosphorus and potassium-based fertilizers along with one-fourth of the nitrogen fertilizer should be applied during land preparation while the remaining nitrogen fertilizer should be added in 4 to 5 installments throughout the growth period.He also advised the growers to use organic manure and green manure along with chemical fertilizers to improve soil fertility and maximize crop production. He also urged farmers to take advantage of the early sowing period and prioritize cotton cultivation on maximum space of their land after harvesting canola, mustard and sugarcane crops. The growers could obtain better yield and maximum profits by enhancing production of their crops if they truly acted upon recommendations and suggestions of the agriculture experts, he added.read more :-Rupee opens 10 paise higher at 86.55 against US dollar

Against the US dollar, the rupee opens 10 paise higher at 86.55.The Indian rupee opened 10 paise higher at 86.55 per dollar on Friday, while it closed at 86.66 on Thursday.read more :-Indian rupee ended 19 paise higher at 86.66 per dollar on Thursday versus morning 's open of 86.85.

On Thursday, the Indian rupee closed 19 paise higher at 86.66 to the dollar than it had opened at 86.85 in the morning.At close, the Sensex was down 203.22 points or 0.27 percent at 75,735.96, and the Nifty was down 19.75 points or 0.09 percent at 22,913.15. About 2570 shares advanced, 1223 shares declined, and 109 shares unchanged.read more :- BTMA urges Bangladesh government to stop Indian yarn imports through land ports

The government of Bangladesh is urged by BTMA to prohibit the importation of Indian yarn via land ports.The Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) recently requested the government to stop yarn imports from India through land ports as the domestic yarn sector is struggling to survive due to smuggling through these routes.Imports from India may continue through seaports, as they are equipped with adequate testing facilities and there is little scope of yarn being smuggled, BTMA president Showkat Aziz Russell told a press conference. But the land ports are ill-equipped to curb smuggling, he noted.Yarn imports from India are allowed through sea ports and four land ports: Benapole, Sonamsjid, Bhomra and Banglabandha.Though yarn imports through these ports were allowed in January 2023 to meet the sudden surge in demand following the pandemic, domestic media outlets reported that the huge volume of imports has become a threat to the domestic spinning sector.India accounted for over 95 per cent of those imports due to the price factor.For instance, traders open letters of credit (LCs) to import two tonnes of yarn but eventually import 10 tonnes through five trucks taking advantage of weak monitoring at land ports, the BTMA president said.In addition to this, challenges such as a loss of working capital due to the depreciation of the local currency against the US dollar, inadequate gas supplies, and lower investment inflow due to political uncertainty have plunged the domestic yarn sector into crisis.When millers had made a similar request in the past, former finance minister M Saifur Rahman had stopped the import of yarn through land ports. But this government has not responded to such a request, he observed.Many yarn mills are running at half their capacity, while some have fully closed due to the gas and US dollar crisis, he said, adding that as imports of yarn from India continue to grow over the next three to four months, Bangladesh stands to lose more jobs and value addition.Russell also demanded that the government include representatives from BTMA, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association on the board of directors of the state-owned gas transmission and distribution company Titas and Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation.This would ensure that unwanted decisions by the government do not affect the country's economic lifeline, i.e., the textile and garment sectors, he added.read more :-Indian rupee open 9 paise up at 86.85 against the US dollar

In relation to the US dollar, the Indian rupee opened 9 paise higher at 86.85.The local currency opened at 86.85 against the US dollar, as compared to 86.94 at previous close against the greenback. read more :- Cotton apparel exports for India, Vietnam increase as US, EU increase orders

India and Vietnam ship more cotton clothing as US and EU orders rise.In 2024, retailers in the United States and the European Union (EU) placed more orders for cotton clothing from Vietnam rather than Bangladesh and China. India also benefited during this time, growing by 20 per cent year over year from April to December of the current fiscal year.Last year, China’s market share in the US fell from 21.8 per cent to 20.8 per cent, a 1 per cent decrease from 2022. In the US, a one per cent market share is equivalent to over US $ 794 million (Rs. 6,900 crore) in sales, according to Prabhu Dhamodharan, Convenor of the Indian Texpreneurs Federation (ITF).Each competing country gained between 0.2 per cent and 0.6 per cent from this China Plus One move, which divided China’s lost share across other nations. According to him, India’s market share increased by 0.2 per cent, reaching 5.9 per cent at present.Data issued by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry indicates that exports of cotton yarn, textiles, made-ups, and handloom items from India increased by 11.98 per cent in December 2024 compared to December 2023, according to the Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (Texprocil).Indian cotton yarn, fabrics, makeup, and handloom goods saw a 2.82 per cent increase between April and December 2024. Over the first nine months of the current fiscal year, the apparel industry grew by 11.5 per cent.According to Dhamodharan, the US Government has imposed new tariffs on small packages coming from China. E-platform businesses will face difficulties as a result, which will reduce the competitiveness of small-parcel exports from China.He added that India is seeing a spike in enquiries and that apparel exporters are seeing an improvement in order visibility from the US, which will “open up big opportunities for India to bet on e-commerce fashion exports.”He said that Indian apparel exporters are seeing an increase in enquiries and improved order visibility as a result of brands launching new product categories that were not previously produced in India.However, Vietnam has started purchasing more cotton from the US than India. “Indian cotton costs more than those in the United States. Vietnam also purchases from West Africa and Brazil”, according to an insider.Vietnam is not purchasing since the price of the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) is between 66 and 68 US cents per pound. Another industry expert added that limited amounts of yarn had been imported into India, but that it too does not apply customs duties.The current price of cotton benchmark futures is 67.4 US cents a pound, or US $ 534 (Rs. 46,375) a candy of 356 kg. Benchmark cotton Shankar-6 is sold in India for US $ 616.55 (Rs. 53,550) per candy.read more :-Sensex, Nifty End Lower Market Shows Mixed Advance-Decline Trend

The lower market of the Sensex and Nifty End has a mixed advance-decline trend.At close, the Sensex was down 28.21 points or 0.04 percent at 75,939.18, and the Nifty was down 12.40 points or 0.05 percent at 22,932.90. About 2724 shares advanced, 1079 shares declined, and 107 shares unchanged.read more :-Cotton Prices Rise as CCI Plans to Buy Over 100 Lakh Bales at MSP