Cotton Association of India (CAI) has released its March estimate of the cotton crop for the season 2018-9 beginning from 1st October 2018. The CAI has estimated cotton crop for 2018-19 at 321 lakh bales of 170 kgs each which is lower by 7 lakh bales than its previous estimate of 328 lakh bales made during last month.
The APTMA spokesman has expressed alarm over the cut of regulatory duty on the import of cotton yarns from 10% to 5. The duty was charged to restrict strident increase in import of undervalue and subsidized cotton yarn entering in our domestic commerce. APTMA spokesman termed it as contrary to the cascading principle of tariff, saying that the domestic spinning industry is fighting for its survival as both its major raw materials i.e. cotton and Polyester Staple Fibre are strained with the imposition of import levies despite shortage in domestic production.
Farmers in the state grew cotton in about 42 lakh acres this kharif, despite losses in the last season due to the virulent attack of pink bollworm. Malla Reddy said that, “Losses in Adilabad would be much higher as heavy rains lashed the cotton-growing district,” Telangana Rythu Sangham leader, Adilabad district recorded 1,112 mm of rainfall, while Jogulamba Gadwal district received the lowest rainfall of 216.7 mm. Official figures put the crop losses in Adilabad district at 1.25 lakh acres. He said that, “The rains were not well spread out and were not timely.
The world leading cotton markets gave mixed trend with New York cotton closing steady and Chinese cotton moved lower. The following deals were reported to have changed hands on ready counter: 4,000 bales, station Tando Adam, at Rs 8,900 to Rs 9,200;1,000 bales, Hyderabad, at Rs 9,000 to 9100; 1,600 bales, Sanghar, at Rs 8,900 to Rs 9,100; 2,000 bales, Shahdadpur, at Rs8,950 to Rs9,200; 1,000 bales, Kotri, at Rs8,900 to Rs9,100; 200 bales, Haroonabad, at Rs 8,900; 200 bales, Burewala, at Rs 8,900; 200 bales, Jhang, at Rs 8,950; and 200 bales, Chichawatni, at Rs 8,950.
Mr. Manjunath said that currently cotton is cultivated on around 18,000 hectares in the district and the department plans to expand it to around 40,000 hectares this year. Admitting that lack of mechanisation and pests have been discouraging the farmers from cultivating cotton in the district despite conducive atmosphere, Mr. Manjunath said that Tamil Nadu has invented handy machines to pluck cotton.
A spokesman for the department said that mulching method must be adopted to keep the temperature of land moderate and as it also helps in minimum wastage of water from land and he also suggested the growers that big plants should be watered with an interval of 10 to 12 days while small plants five to six days.
Punjab Agriculture Department has advised fruit growers to ensure proper care of fruit plants during the hot weather to get good quality fruit.
The Pakistan government has fixed a target to cultivate the cotton crop over an area of 3.11 million hectares during the crop season 2017/18 to fulfill the domestic requirements of the commodity, as well as for export purposes, said Dr Khalid Abdullah, cotton commissioner in the ministry of textile industry on Wednesday.
During the current sowing season, Pakistan cotton cultivation witnessed 18 percent increase across the crop growing areas as compared to the sowing during the corresponding period of the last year.
With cotton crop able to fetch relatively higher prices in 2016-17 and is expected to sustain remuneration levels in the current fiscal as demand for cotton, especially by mills, is also rising and is likely to result in a consistent fall in year-end stocks of cotton, according to the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC). Farmers are likely to increase acreage under cotton, resulting in higher output going forward.
Pakistan to fulfill the domestic requirements as well as exports has decided to cultivate cotton crop over 3.118 million hectares of land during the current sowing season (2017-18).
Cotton Commissioner Dr Khalid Abdullah said that cotton crop is to be cultivated over 2.429 million hectares of land in Punjab, where as in Sindh it would be sown over 0.650 million hectares of land during the current season.
Meanwhile, the cotton crop would be cultivated over 0.038 million hectares of land in Balochistan and on about 0.001 million hectares in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa respectively.
Pakistan expects 11.2 million bales of cotton output this season as compared to 10 million bales produced last year.
According to sources, the selling price of cotton seeds from Rs 3,000 to 3,200 per 40-KG encouraged farmers to cultivate cotton crops on more land and enhance the cotton production in this season,
The experts and scientists helped train more than 8,000 farmers to overcome losses of cotton crops and evolved measures against the virus which harmed the cotton crops in the past.
