Cotton Picking Begins, Yield Expected to Double This Season
By ashish wagh 2024-09-19 11:40:12
Cotton Harvest Expected to Double This Season: Cotton Picking Begins
Cotton picking has commenced in Punjab, with experts anticipating a yield double that of last year, offering relief to farmers as pest impact remains minimal.
Harvesting of cotton bolls has started in Punjab’s semi-arid districts, with field reports indicating insignificant pest damage, bringing much-needed reassurance to farmers. Experts from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and state agriculture officials project that this year’s cotton production will be twice that of last year, encouraging farmers to return to cotton cultivation.
In the 2023-24 season, Punjab produced 17.54 lakh quintals of cotton. However, this year saw a historic low in cotton acreage, with only 96,000 hectares sown. Pest attacks in previous seasons and the shift towards rice cultivation contributed to this decline. Despite an agriculture department target of two lakh hectares, only 1.79 lakh hectares were planted with cotton, marking a 46% decrease from last year.
According to Punjab Mandi Board data, small quantities of cotton have begun arriving in various mandis, with private buyers offering up to ₹7,501 per quintal, above the MSP of ₹7,281. Over 160 quintals of raw cotton have already been purchased, with Muktsar recording the highest arrival of 82 quintals so far.
State cotton coordinator Manish Kumar expects arrivals to increase by month-end, noting that the early-sown crop is now reaching markets. Agriculture authorities also report no significant impact from pests like the whitefly or pink bollworm this season. PAU's principal entomologist, Vijay Kumar, highlighted that effective pest management has helped protect crops.
Farmers anticipate yields of eight quintals per acre, a sharp improvement from last year’s average of four quintals, thanks to favorable weather and coordinated pest control efforts. The next few weeks will be critical as the second round of cotton picking begins, potentially boosting production further.
