Cotton acreage is increasing in Gujarat, the largest producing state, but it is decreasing in other states as farmers prefer competitive crops such as oilseeds and pulses.
Cotton acreage in Gujarat has grown by 10% this year compared to the same time last year. The entire area under cotton may wind up being lower than last year’s levels, as sowing has been completed in the northern states and is nearing completion in the other states. This year’s cotton acreage is dominated by a new yet unapproved cotton seed type known as 4-G or Bt4.
Cotton planting in the North Indian states of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan has been lower than in prior years. Farmers in Gujarat were leaning toward groundnut for the current kharif season, but prices skyrocketed due to high demand for groundnut seed. “There is a massive trade of illicit cotton seeds in Maharashtra and Gujarat,” M Ramaswami, Founder of Rasi Seeds Pvt Ltd, the largest seed vendor.
Cotton Corporation of India chairman-cum-Managing Director Pradeep Kumar Agarwal stated that cotton planting is delayed every alternate year, yet acreage may be the same as last year or 2-3% lower if the current pattern continues. Anand Poppat, a cotton, cotton yarn, and cotton waste merchant headquartered in Rajkot, believes that adequate groundwater levels in growing locations will take care of acreage.
