Reduced cultivated acreage: Punjab's cotton imports are five times lower than they were the previous year.
Punjab : This decline comes after a significant decline in cotton cultivation acreage during the kharif season, which has fallen to an all-time low of around 95,000 hectares due to persistent pest attacks since 2021.
Cotton arrivals in Punjab have fallen sharply this season, with arrivals in the market till November 30 falling to less than a fifth of the 2023 figure, when over 5 lakh quintals of cotton had arrived in the market.
This decline comes after a significant decline in cotton cultivation acreage during the kharif season, which has fallen to an all-time low of around 95,000 hectares due to persistent pest attacks since 2021.
Data from the Punjab Mandi Board shows that the key kharif crop has recorded the lowest arrivals in seven years (since 2018), with only 1.23 lakh quintals of cotton reaching the markets till November 30, even as experts were expecting a revival in production.
Cotton, popularly known as 'white gold', remains the economic backbone of the semi-arid regions of Punjab. Officials claim that private buyers are buying cotton at prices higher than the minimum support price (MSP), with long-staple cotton reaching ₹7,020 per quintal and medium-staple cotton reaching ₹7,271 per quintal.
The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), a central agency that buys cotton at rates below the MSP, has not entered the market, indicating that the buying trend is in favour of farmers.
Industry experts say farmers may hold back their cotton crop in anticipation of higher rates due to lower production.
Last year, 15.73 lakh quintal of cotton was procured in the mandis of Malwa region.
However, the current arrival trend has raised concerns among experts as the kharif crop yield has declined for the fourth consecutive season this year.
Muktsar chief agriculture officer and nodal officer for cotton producing districts Gurnam Singh on Tuesday said there was no pest infestation this year and initial assessment suggests that the overall production may be encouraging despite a significant reduction in acreage. "It has been a disappointing season due to inadequate rainfall and inadequate care of fields by cotton growers.
The state authorities have not yet taken any steps to promote cultivation of this traditional crop in the arid areas of Punjab," Singh said. Vinay Pathania, assistant professor (plant protection) at Bathinda Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), said whitefly was initially found in cotton fields. Later, pink bollworm was also detected. "But the pest attack did not pose any serious threat to the crop. Timely detection and use of pesticides saved the crop," he said. Jagseer Singh, chief agriculture officer, Bathinda, said against the average yield of 8 quintals an acre, it dropped to 4-5 quintals this year. "Farmers are disappointed with the poor yield trend from 2021, which has led to a significant reduction in the area devoted to cotton cultivation. Fearing another pest infestation, many farmers are hesitant to provide their crops with the required nutrients.
Though pest management measures proved effective this time, the delayed attention to crop care came too late. Plant growth was low due to nutrient deficiencies and scanty rainfall, affecting the yield," he said.
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