Cotton Productivity: An autonomous organisation is needed for cotton productivity estimation; Experts in the field of cotton research and productivity enhancement are in demand
2025-04-23 16:21:39
Establishing an Autonomous Body for Cotton Productivity Estimation and Research
The policy of increasing productivity at the beginning of the season and then gradually reducing it is implemented through domestic entities to put pressure on imports. This is the reason why cotton gets a low price during the season. Now there is a demand to reduce the import duty on imports to zero. Looking at this overall situation, experts in the field are demanding that the government set up an autonomous organisation to estimate cotton productivity.
Domestic cotton productivity is low. It has been observed that pests and diseases are spreading as a result of climate change, which is also affecting productivity. The area under cotton cultivation in Punjab and Haryana has declined significantly in the last few years, as the pink bollworm infestation has gone out of control in both these states. In Maharashtra too, farmers are preferring maize crop over cotton, while in Gujarat farmers have given preference to groundnut.
It is feared that the cotton acreage will decrease in both these states in the upcoming Kharif season. This is why we had to import twice the amount of cotton bales this year compared to last year. Last year 1.5 million bales were imported, and this year 3 million bales have been imported. While all this is happening, there is also talk that farmers are not getting the expected price. This is because the trade lobby has estimated higher productivity at the beginning of the season.
Accordingly, cotton prices remain under pressure. Experts in the sector also said that after this, pressure is exerted to increase imports by claiming a decrease in productivity. The game being played is that if imports increase, prices will again come under pressure. That is why experts say that there should be a government system to estimate the productivity and production of cotton. It was also said that this will control the large fluctuations in the productivity declared at the commercial level and help farmers get good profits.
...It is supply and demand
320 lakh bales demanded
291 lakh bales produced
3.3 million bales imported
There used to be a Cotton Advisory Board at the government level. Now it has been renamed as COCPC (Cotton Production and Consumption). It has four members: Union Agriculture Ministry, Cotton Association of India, Indian Spinning Mills Association and Cotton Corporation of India. Their meetings are held and productivity is estimated. So it is wrong to say that there is no such committee.
