Hit by drought during sowing season, flood in flowering time and cyclone on harvesting, India’s cotton yield is estimated to decline 5.45 per cent this year.
According to the latest estimate by the Cotton Advisory Board (CAB), a leading body of cotton farmers, traders and merchants, total cotton yield of the country may fall to 495.55 kgs per hectare (ha) during the current cotton year (October - September) as compared to 524.13 kgs per ha in the previous year.
Barring Karnataka where climatic condition was favourable for cotton crop, almost all growing belts reported loss in yield. Especially in the major cotton growing states including Punjab and Haryana, the yield is likely to decline by 10.11 per cent. Yield is estimated to decline to 507.46 kgs per ha this year as against 465.52 kgs per ha in the previous year. Similarly, per ha output is likely to fall to 423.37 kgs this year in Haryana as against 521.93 kgs last year.
CAB revised its cotton output estimates downwards for the current year at 295 lakh bales (1 bale = 170 kgs) as against its own estimate at 305 lakh bales in September this year.
India’s total cotton output was recorded at 290 lakh bales last year. Total acreage area has been estimated to surpass the 100 lakh ha milestone for the first time at 101.2 lakh ha this year as against 94 lakh ha in the previous estimate. Out of this, about 7 lakh ha is estimated to have affected due to drought, flood and cyclone during different planting period.
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