With 92 lakh bales, Gujarat ranks 2nd in cotton cultivation in the country: Govt

Gandhinagar: In anticipation of World Cotton Day on October 7, the state government announced on Sunday that Gujarat ranks second in the nation for cotton cultivation, with 26.8 lakh hectares under cultivation and a production of 92 lakh bales. The state’s cotton productivity currently stands at 589kg per hectare, according to the government.

State Agriculture Minister Raghavji Patel highlighted that in 1960, when Gujarat was established, the cotton productivity was only 139kg per hectare, a figure that has since increased to 589kg per hectare.

“This demonstrates that research, farmer-friendly government policies, and the dedication of cotton farmers have contributed significantly to the state’s revenue,” Patel said.

The minister also noted that the development of hybrid cotton in India started with the creation of the Hybrid-4 cotton variety by a research farm in Surat in 1971, which led to a substantial rise in the country’s cotton productivity.

An official statement mentioned that in 2021-22, Gujarat ranked second in India, with 22.45 lakh hectares of cotton cultivated, producing 73.88 lakh bales and achieving a productivity rate of 559kg per hectare. Patel added that Gujarat is expected to become the top cotton-producing state in the coming years due to various incentive schemes and ongoing research.

He also emphasized Gujarat’s leadership in the BT cotton era. The state pioneered the development and recognition of the first two public sector BT hybrid varieties — Gujarat Cotton Hybrid-6 BG-2 and Gujarat Cotton Hybrid-8 BG-2 — which were approved by the Union government in 2012. In 2015, Gujarat introduced two more BT hybrid varieties, Gujarat Cotton Hybrid-10 BG-2 and Gujarat Cotton Hybrid-12 BG-2, providing farmers with four BT cotton varieties to cultivate. DeshGujarat