Andhra traders see bumper cotton crop

Cotton traders in Andhra Pradesh expect a crop of about 50 lakh bales in the state in 2007-08, substantially more than the 30 lakh bales last year.

However, the Andhra Pradesh Cotton Association expects a crop of about 40 lakh bales (170 kg) if all goes well this season.

Happy over good rains in most cotton growing areas, farmers have started sowing in 18 districts. Officials say sowing of bt cotton seed has been completed in 10 lakh hectares.

They expect that about 25 lakh hectares will be covered in 2007-08 against 20 lakh hectares last year. However, the outcome would depend on rain that is required in the crucial months of October and November.

Strangely, the officials expectation of the crop is lower at 24.48 lakh bales. They say that the government would spend Rs 20.68 crore on this account this year.

Farmers incurred little expenditure on pesticides last year, as a result of the pest-resistant bt cotton varieties that were made available to them. And after an initial setback in prices, they did receive remunerative prices through most of the season.

This year, traditional cotton varieties have almost disappeared from seed shops. Bt cotton varieties such as Bunny, Mico and Chatrapathi from Maharashtra, Mallika from Karnataka, and Tulasi and Nuzveed in AP have become favourites. The seeds are selling at Rs 750-Rs 800 for 650 gm, required for sowing in an acre.

Last year's crop was entirely ginned in the state, with 60 per cent of stocks sent to Surat and Tamil Nadu for spinning. Traders say that about one lakh bales from last year's crop had still not arrived in the market. Another one lakh bales of the summer crop is expected to arrive in ten days from Nellore and Prakasam districts.