Ahmedabad: Attack of pink bollworms coupled with erratic rainfall, especially unseasonal rains, has had serious adverse impact on cotton yield in Gujarat. With an estimated drop of 25%-30%, cotton yield in the state, during 2015-16, is expected to reach the lowest level in last 10 years.
According to the latest estimates of the Cotton Advisory Board (CAB) under union textile ministry, India's largest cotton producer state is likely to witness a cotton yield of 621 kg per hectare, the lowest since 2004-05. This estimate is based on an expected production of 101 lakh bales (1 bale is equivalent to 170 kg).
Industry players and agriculturists, however, believe that the yield could go down further to 550-560 kg per hectare, as the effect of pink bollworm, parawilt (sukaro) diseases is quite severe.
"Cotton yield is going to be adversely impacted due to pink bollworms, parawilt, whiteflies as well as unseasonal rains," said NM Sharma, managing director, Gujarat State Co-operative Cotton Federation Ltd (Gujcot), which is also a member of CAB.
"Not just Gujarat, attacks of pink bollworms and whiteflies as well as erratic rainfall has led to a fall in yield this year," agrees Dhiren Seth, president, Cotton Association of India (CAI).
Gujarat had registered 516 kg per hectare yield in 2003-04. According to a city-based cotton trader Arun Dalal, spurious Bt cotton seeds have also contributed to lowering of the yield.
Saurashtra, one of the major cotton growing regions in the state, was badly hit by the invasion of pink bollworms. "Cotton acreage in Saurashtra is around 18.5 lakh hectares, out Gujarat's total 27.58 lakh hectares under cotton crop. In some areas, the crop had to be uprooted due to pink bollworm problems. The yield is going to decline by 25-30% in 2015-16," added LK Dhaduk, research scientist at Cotton Research Center of Junagadh Agriculture University.
Agriculturists also warn that pink bollworm menace will aggravate next year if necessary steps are not taken right away.
At present, Gujarat is estimated to produce 101 lakh bales of cotton in 2015-16. But industry players fear that it could tank to 90 lakh bales as arrivals in the markets continue to be low.
