Nashik: Cotton production in north Maharashtra is likely to decline by 25% this year due to inadequate rainfall. Normal annual cotton production in north Maharashtra is about 20 lakh tonnes, and about 10 lakh hectares of land is used to cultivate this crop. According to the state agriculture department, cotton production this year may fall to 15 lakh tonnes.
“Cotton crops have been badly affected this year.
Cotton production is likely to be reduced by 25-30% this year,” said agricultural officials.
Cotton is sown in all four districts of north Maharashtra — Jalgaon, Dhule, Nandurbar and Nashik. In Nashik, cotton is sown in Malegaon and Yeola talukas.
Of the total cotton acreage, 60% is non-irrigated and 40% is irrigated. Exact quantum of losses will be known only after the harvest is over by January-end.
There has been inadequate rainfall this year. There were no showers during more than 40 consecutive days in July and August, which is the primary period of growth for cotton crops. These districts had received showers in September. Some of the crops survived, but the yield was affected.
In 2022-23, area under cotton cultivation in north Maharashtra was 10 lakh hectares and production was 19 lakh tonnes. This year (2023-24), the area under cotton crops has reduced to 9.6 lakh hectares and production is expected at around 15.4 lakh tonne, according to the state agriculture department. Deva Patil, a cotton farmer in Dhule district, said the inadequate rainfall had badly affected the cotton crops. The production is likely to reduce by 40%, he said.
Jalgaon district is the major cotton hub in the region. The agriculture department had projected cotton crop sowing on 5 lakh hectares in Jalgaon for the current kharif season, but actual sowing has been done on 5.5 lakh hectares.
Cotton crops have been sown on 2.3 lakh hectares in Dhule district, 1.3 lakh hectares in Nandurbar and 39,900 hectares in Nashik district.
source : times of India
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