Latest Figures Out:Gujarat is India’s Unbeatable Cotton Giant
Ahmedabad, DeshGujarat
According to India’s Cotton Advisory Board (CAB) estimates, Gujarat has emerged as the leader in India’s total cotton production with 11.2 million bales(1 bale = 170 kg) production followed by Maharashtra (6.2 mn bales), Andhra Pradesh (4.6 mn bales) and Punjab (2.2 mn bales) in year 2008.
Gujarat has left far behind all the other states. Gujarat has seen cotton production continuously go up from 3.5 million bales to 8.9 million bales between 2002-03 and 2005-06 to 10 million bales in 2006-07.
Industry experts here say that Gujarat, the largest cotton producer, is witnessing a resurgence of interest among textile players because of easy access to raw material at reduced freight. Two more major textile projects envisaging an investment of more than Rs.10.5 billion ($250 million) are coming up at Jhagadia in central Gujarat.
According to Cotton Advisory Board (CAB) estimates, India`s cotton production in 2007-08 has jumped by 12.5 % at 31.5 million bales (1 bale = 170 kg) as compared to 28 million bales in previous year. Gujarat has contributed 35% of this production.
The total acreage under cotton in India increased to 9.55 million hectares compared with 9.14 million hectares in 2006-07, up 4.5%. Gujarat has 57 lakh acres land(nearly 25 lakh hectares) under cotton. This means Gujarat’s part in nation’s total land under cotton is merely a 3.82% but part in India’s total cotton production is 35%. This proves very high productivity of cotton in Gujarat.
Production of Cotton is concentrated in the districts of Surendranagar, Rajkot, Ahmedabad, Baroda, Broach, Mehsana, and Bhavnagar in Gujarat.
Gujarat’s cotton is famous in China and western nations as Gujarat cotton. Gujarat has huge share in India’s total cotton export(exact figures are not available).
May 20th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
please give us narendra Modi and gujrat like system, leadership an power. Our farmers sucide everyday and are starving. We want narendra modi as maharasthra’s cm. our sharad pawar,praful patel,narayan rane,bal thakre,raj thakre,deshmukh all have become extra and super rich but farmers sucide every day ane are becoming poorer and poorer. please send narendra modi to maharashtra.
sarang shinde
nashik
May 20th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
just curious to know if increase in cotton production is due to more farmers turning away from other crops to cotton production? if so, nothing to feel proud of. we might be loosing our rank in some other crop’s production.
May 21st, 2008 at 12:19 am
Its good that we have taken a giant leap in cotton production. Though, scenario of today suggests to focus more on crop and horticulture. Already, we are facing food crisis so it would be advisable to encourage our farmers more to produce grains and edibles. I guess thats the only way we can reduce our demand of food.
May 21st, 2008 at 2:03 am
To, Krunal & Pathik ,
I can understand your skepticism. You guys have lived under Congress’s directives too long. Throw away protectivism. Take risk. Let true free market economy work. Let farmers to decide their destiny. And Government should be Director Not Dictator . And specially to Krunal, “don’t try to skin off hair”. It is matter of pride. And the Award goes to Farmers of Gujarat & “DirghDrastha” Modi.
May 21st, 2008 at 4:02 am
Krunal
you have rightly expressed concern over other side of agriculture apart from cotton crop. Here are some latest released figures and details about it. Gujarat has achieved highest agriculture growth rate in India(not only in cotton but overall)
There has been a total 13.6% growth in agriculture production in 2007-08 as compared to year 2006-07’s negative growth(2%) in the state. In 2007-08, agriculture yield has risen to 181.70 lakh metric tonne(MT) from 151.6 lakh in 2006-07.
Horticulture production in the same period rose to 127 lakh MT from 121.04 lakh MT. The foodgrain output increased from 58.82 lakh MT to 79.5 lakh MT. In the same period, production of oil seeds increased to 47.88 lakh MT from 30.20 lakh MT while the yield of cotton increaset to 85.06 lakh MT from 78.76 lakh MT last year.
Productivity(per hectare yield) has also increased considerably in 2007-08 compared to last year. Productivity of foodgrain, oil seeds and cotton has increased to 1697,1619 and 600 lakh MT respectively in 2007-08 from 1404,1057 and 564 lakh MT respectively in 2006-07.
The state has witnessed 11.71% average growth in the 10th five year plan(2002-03 to 2006-07). However, the annual growth during these five years has witnessed a very volatile trend. In the first year(2002-03) of the plan, the growth of agriculture and horticulture was negative(-12) while it increased phenomenally to 60% in the second year of the plan. Three out of five years in the plan period witnessed negative growth rate.
The monsoon was relatively stables so we observed positive growth but the 10th five year plan(2002-03 to 2006-07) registered a volatile growth because of unpredictable rainfall. 2003-04 got the best rain fall in terms of quantity and distribution. Both quantity and distribution of rainfall affected the agriculture production. Due to better dams and irrigation facility, Gujarat had registered highest overall growth rate in agriculture in the country.
May 23rd, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Congratulations to the hardworking farmers of Gujarat and the Great Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi and his team.
Hope govt.will make sure that the farmers get the right (and higher) prices for their crops, so that increased production can result in increased prosperity of the farmers.
Jay Jay Garvi Gujarat.
-Pranav Patel.
London.
June 21st, 2008 at 12:58 am
Chinese come looking for Indian cotton
Rajkot: The cotton growers in Saurashtra are keeping their fingers crossed for a normal rainfall this year. And if luck favours them, they will do what every one wants them to do — invade the Chinese market, a tit for tat for the proliferous goods from the neighbouring country.
A Chinese delegation was in the city recently to book huge quantity of cotton in advance. Over and above it, buyers from the US and Pakistan are also showing interest in cotton produced in Saurashtra, signalling good times ahead for farmers.
The delegation of agroproduct merchants from China have entered into forward deals with cotton merchants of Saurashtra, top industry sources said. The Chinese delegation has booked as much as 1 lakh bales of cotton; each bale for Rs 25,000. The supplies would be delivered to the Chinese agro-merchants by November-December 2008.
Though the market price is higher than the forward deal price, yet, this deal with the Chinese agro-merchants is lucrative for cotton producers as last year cotton bale price was Rs 21,000 in forward deals. Indian cotton is in high demand abroad and hence, the coming season can be very profitable for farmers, said a top wholesaler of city. Today, good quality cotton is being quoted at Rs 700 per 20 kg. in Amreli and Gondal marketing yards. On comparing this with advance deal rate, the farmers are bound to earn more than what they earned last year, the dealer added.
“Last year we got Rs. 650 per 20 kg. for good quality produce, this year it’s Rs. 700 and next year if the forward deal is successful, it will cross Rs. 750,” said another trader active in the forward market deals. His only worry is indifferent monsoon. If rains fail and are insufficient, then these will have an impact on production, he added.
Of late, cotton prices have seen a sharp upward swing in the backdrop of no increase in cultivation area in three major cotton producing states of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
Also, this season, cotton production in Punjab is set to reduce by at least 25 per cent, said market sources adding that overall this trend can lead to a dip in cotton production in the country. Reduced cotton production and increased demand for the produce abroad can soar its prices both nationally and internationally, the sources added.
SOURCE: SANDESH