Cotton sowing completion to delay by 10-15 days in Punjab, Haryana

The completion of cotton sowing in Punjab and Haryana is set to delay by 10-15 days against the recommended sowing period on account of "insufficient" availability of canal water for irrigation.

Punjab has so far reported 70 per cent of cotton sowing while 50 per cent area has been covered in Haryana under cotton till now, as per officials of Agriculture Departments of both states.

According to cotton experts, the cotton sowing should be completed in Punjab and Haryana by May 15 and May 25 respectively in order to fetch higher crop yield.

"The main reason behind delay in cotton sowing has been the insufficient availability of canal water which is required for irrigation in cotton growing areas," a senior official of Haryana Agriculture Department said today.

Corroborating the details, Bhartiya Kisan Union (Rajewal) said despite asking the state authorities to make sufficient water available for irrigation, cotton growers continued to face problems in sowing the crop. "Farmers are not getting enough water and power for sowing the crop which will ultimately impact the crop," BKU (Rajewal), Balbir Singh Rajewal said.

The cotton belt of both states largely depends upon canal water for irrigating their crops. Punjab is now expecting the cotton sowing to complete by May end while Haryana sees the cotton sowing will continue till first week of June, officials confided.

Experts point out that delay in cotton sowing adversely hit the yield of the crop. "The problem may occur in opening of cotton balls of the late sown crop. Moreover, it can also cause delay in sowing of next wheat crop," Punjab Agricultural University Director (Research) PS Minhas said.

Area under cotton sowing in Punjab and Haryana is likely to grow by 10 to 15 per cent in the current Kharif sowing season due to higher returns fetched by cotton growers last year and expected fall in area under paddy crop.

Punjab and Haryana, which contribute almost 12 per cent to country's total cotton output, are expecting area under cotton crop to grow to 5.30 lakh hectares and 6 lakh hectares respectively this year.

Last year, total area under cotton in Punjab and Haryana stood at 4.90 lakh hectares and 5.19 lakh hectares respectively, according to senior officials of agriculture departments of both states.