Cotton seems to be catching the fancy of farmers in Haryana this season, as the area under cultivation has met the target.
Haryana agriculture department had set a target of six lakh hectares area under cotton this kharif season, against which 6.05 lakh hectares have been brought under the commercial crop. Last year, the area under cotton in Haryana was just 4.92 lakh hectares.
As per statistics provided by state agriculture department, area under cotton since 2007 had remained below five lakh hectares, with 2009 being an exception when, when the area reached 5.07 lakh hectares.
Cotton is sown in the months of April and May and the plucking season commences in October and goes on till December.
Agriculture officials say the reason for the surge in area is high remunerative prices fetched by cotton farmers for the last crop. According to them, prices for cotton had seen a 100 per cent jump, fetching as much as Rs 7000 per quintal as against normal prices of Rs 3500 per quintal.
The surge in area under cotton however, comes at the cost of other kharif crops, mainly paddy, guar and bajra.
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This year. cotton could turn out to be the bumper crop as the agriculture department is eyeing a production of 25.44 lakh bales (1 bale=170kg), with productivity of 721 kg/hectare. However, the only concern remains rainfall, which has been near normal in Haryana this season.
As per meteorological department, Haryana till now has received 125 mm rainfall as against the predicted 147 mm. Rain is 15 per cent less this time. However, officials say more than 20 per cent deviation in rainfall is considered to be deficient.
Absence of adequate rainfall not only causes attack of pathogens but it could also escalate the cost of cultivation, which is estimated to be Rs 3150 per quintal.
Agriculture officials feel if rainfall turns out to be deficient, farmers would have no option but to rely on artificial irrigation, which would further escalate the cost of cultivation.