Cotton output to touch 350 lakh bales by 2010

Helped by an improvement in the average yield, the domestic cotton industry is looking to hit the 350 lakh bales production mark by 2010 from the present 250 lakh bales.

"By 2010, the textiles industry's requirement would also rise to 350 lakh bales, and we expect the production to match it," said P D Patodia, chairman, Cotton Development Research Association.

Since 2000, the country's cotton production has risen by almost 60 per cent from about 150 lakh bales. However, the domestic industry still suffers from a low yield. Although the country has the world's highest acreage under cotton cultivation, at 9.04 million hectares, it lags behind the US and China in production.

"Historically, almost 65 per cent of the cotton growing area is troubled by erratic and low rainfall, and there has hardly been any technology development in the cultivation. But lately, a consistent approach has seen a productivity increase in Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana," Patodia said. The country's yield has increased to 476 kg per hectare from 303 kg per hectare in 2,000.

But the poor health of the Maharashtra cotton industry remains a concern. The state takes up almost one-third of the country's total acreage under cotton cultivation. But its average yield of 271 kg per hectare is the lowest.

"We have approached the state government over this and have got a positive response. A meeting will be organised with cotton farmers to acquaint them with the latest technology," he said.

Of late, cotton exports from India have also gone up. Industry experts expect the country's exports to hit the 90 lakh bales mark this year.

Cotton exports to China got a perfect start in 2006, posting an exponential rise of almost 3,000 per cent in January, emerging as the second-largest exporter to the country after the US. In volume terms, exports clocked 43,073 tonne or about 2.5 lakh bales in January.

The US was the biggest exporter with 76,479 tonne, but its increase was marginal at 50 per cent. Uzbekhistan was the third-largest exporter with 2, 595 tonne. India recorded the third highest export growth rate in a year, behind Paraguay with almost 9,000 per cent and Australia 3,500 per cent.