Hanumangarh: Fear of pink caterpillar leads to massive reduction in cotton sowing area
By ashish wagh 2024-06-11 15:12:15
Hanumangarh: A significant decrease in the cotton sowing area is caused by a fear of pink caterpillars.
Cotton sowing has come down drastically this season and is much less than last year's 2 lakh hectares. The sowing area has come down by 50%, the lowest in a decade. This has raised concerns about the economy of the district.
Cotton is a major kharif crop and a primary source of income for farmers, contributing significantly to the district's economy. Last year, an infestation of pink caterpillars devastated 80% of the cotton crop, leading to huge financial losses. As a result, farmers have turned to alternative crops such as paddy, guar, moong, sesame and millet, which are expected to increase in sowing area this year.
Despite efforts by the agriculture department to educate farmers about pest control, fear of another caterpillar infestation has put cotton sowing on hold. This shift could impact the economy of the district, which traditionally earns around Rs 4 thousand crore from cotton grown in 2 lakh hectares. While other crops like paddy and sesame promise good yields, the overall economic impact remains uncertain.
Key changes in crop sowing:
Cotton: Decreased from 2 lakh hectares to 90 thousand hectares.
Paddy: Expected to increase from 35 thousand 900 hectares last year to 70 thousand hectares.
Groundnut, Guar, Moong and Sesame: Sowing areas are also expected to increase significantly.
B R Bakolia, Assistant Director of Agriculture (Extension) in Hanumangarh confirmed the trend and informed that cotton sowing has come down, but there is optimism about the yield of other crops. Final sowing data will be available next week.
