Andhra cotton harvest likely to touch 30 lakh bales this season

Genetically modified cotton seeds constitute 40% of seeds sown by farmers

Andhra Pradesh is likely to see its cotton harvest touch 30 lakh bales this season (2004-05), with the cotton hectarage increasing already by 25 per cent to 11.17 lakh hectares. During the previous season, the farmers had grown cotton in 8.25 lakh hectares and recorded a crop of 26 lakh bales.

This season, genetically modified cotton seeds (Bacillus thuringiensis cotton or just Bt cotton) sown by farmers in Andhra Pradesh constituted 40 per cent of the total seeds used.

Of the Bt seeds, two officially recognised hybrids "� MECH-11 (Micro) and RCH-32 (Raasi) "� formed 20 per cent, and the remaining by Bt hybrids "� H-8 and H-6 (bunny), and Nandyala Bt.

The pest-resistant Bt varieties are guaranteed to give a yield of 12-13 quintals per acre, as compared to a harvest of 6-8 quintals by the old, traditional and pest-prone varieties.

Speaking to Business Standard, T Bhanoji Rao, general manager of Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), said: "This year, the hectarage under cotton has increased by 25 per cent with 11.17 lakh hectares coming under cotton cultivation. It is estimated to go up to 11.3 lakh hectares," he said.

"While the Telangana farmers are raising cotton crop in 6.25 lakh hectares, the farmers of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema have sown seeds in 3.74 lakh hectares and 1.08 lakh hectares respectively. During the 2003-04 season, the farmers had grown cotton in 8.25 lakh hectares and recorded a crop of 26 lakh bales. So cotton harvest this year is certain to touch 30 lakh bales and with crop arrivals expected from other states to Andhra Pradesh, around 35 lakh bales might go for ginning in the local cotton mills next year," Bhanoji Rao added.

"Last year, CCI purchased 1,83,000 cotton bales worth Rs 200 crore from the farmers directly. This year, the corporation would go all out for buying the crop under minimum support prices (MSP). It would, however, depend on market forces on purchasing the crop under commercial operations. The government has announced Rs 2,010 MSP per quintal for bunny cotton, Rs 35 more than what it fixed for the same variety last year. The MSPs fixed for other varieties of cotton are Rs 2,035 for MC5, Rs 1,960 for H4, Rs 1,885 for JKH-Y1/MECH, Rs 1,675 for NH44, and Rs 1,835 for LRA cotton," Rao said.

Rao said that the farmers of Lingaraopalem and Yendugaripalem in Guntur district had again entered into contract farming with the CCI under the guidance of its experts.

Last year, they, with yields up to 10-12 quintals per acre, realised 35 per cent higher profits than what other farmers earned. They used minimum chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

"The weather has so far been good for cotton farmers. They received optimum rains and there has not been any major pest attack. Bollworm attack was reported in Khammam district, but timely intervention by the CCI experts has eliminated the pest. The crop from the Telangana districts would hit the market in the last week of October and the coastal Andhra crop would come up for sale in the second week of November," he said.

He said that the CCI had opened 55 purchase centres in Andhra Pradesh.

"While the market yards are functioning efficiently at Warangal, Kothagudem, Shadnagar, Khammam, Adilabad and other places in Telangana, the market yards in coastal Andhra are not properly regulated. As a sequel, the farmers shun the yards at Chilakaluripet, Sattenapalli and Guntur. There are no commission agents for cotton segment in coastal Andhra, the reason why farmers prefer to dispose of their harvest at their houses immediately after harvesting. The yard officials somehow are averse to issue licences to commission agents for cotton," he pointed out.