Rain dampens cotton harvest prospects in Punjab, Haryana

Rainy weather has affected the cotton crop in Punjab and Haryana, with the border state alone facing dampened hopes of harvest in as many as 90,000 hectares. As for Haryana, the government is yet to compile data on the extent of damage even as traders peg it at 10 per cent of the crop area in their state.

What’s more, as analysts note, rain would also affect the quality of the crop.

Rains in end-August and early September has damaged the crop both in Punjab and Haryana. Continued bouts of showers would also lead to a delay in the picking operations, resulting in late arrival of cotton in the markets.

Scientists maintain rains can damage the crop once bolls on the lower side start rotting. In varieties sown earlier, where bolls have started opening, it affects the quality of the crop. Agriculture officials say rain in the next few days can bring the yield for the crop under stress.

All this, when Punjab and Haryana are eyeing a bumper cotton harvest this year, after areas of cultivating the crop had surged in both states owing to better returns. Punjab and Haryana are eying production of around 50 lakh bales (1 bale is 170 kg) of cotton this season, as against last year’s 39 lakh bales cotton — an increase of 30 per cent.

Cotton sowing in Punjab is reported to be over an area of 5.50 lakh hectare, as against 4.83 lakh hectares last year. In Haryana, cotton cultivation this year saw a surge to around 6.05 lakh hectares as against 4.92 lakh hectare last year.

The Haryana Cotton Ginner Association maintains that cotton prices in the last few days have climbed up due to delayed crop and, probably, owing to anticipation of bad cotton crop this year. Prices of cotton are hovering around Rs 4,200 per quintal (J34 variety) as against Rs 3,200 last month, said association president Sushil Mittal. This reflects a 30 per cent rise.

In Haryana, cotton arrivals is yet to pick up. Reasons Mittal: a delay in the picking operations, again, because of inclement weather besides ginners sitting on a strike. (The ginners in Haryana are on an agitation in protest against higher market fee.)

Last year, by this time, around 50,000 quintal bales of cotton had arrived in various markets of Haryana. This year, no arrival has been reported.

Punjab — uptil yesterday — saw around 500 quintals of cotton arriving in different mandis of the state; it also shows sharp decline compared to last year.