India is one of the largest cotton producing and 2nd largest cotton exporting countries in the world. In fact, cotton is a cash crop that yields huge profits. Of the 4 cultivated species of cotton, India has the sole power to grow them all, including their intra & inter-specific hybrids. Basically, here cotton production is done in 3 distinct zones as: Central (Maharashtra, Gujarat & MP), Northern (Rajasthan, Punjab & Haryana) and Southern (Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & Andhra Pradesh). Cotton is a kharif crop that requires duration of 6-8 months to grow properly. Depending upon the climatic conditions, it’s time of sowing & harvesting is different in different regions. For instance, Cotton is grown in April & May in Punjab and Haryana and harvested in December & January. This is because frost can damage the crops before winter season.
As per the recent reports by CAI (Cotton Association of India), the estimated cotton crop for the year 2017-18 is expected at 375 bales of 170 kg, higher than 37 (approx) bales as compared to the last year. The production of cotton is quite higher this year. In percentage terms, cotton production has been estimated to be on the upper side by about 18% than that of previous year.
The CAI, however, is estimating the yield to be around 9% lower this year on account of damage caused by pink boll worms. As per the Cotton Association of India, the total cotton supply for the year 2017-18 is 422 lakh bales. This includes the opening stock of 30 lakh bales cotton and imports of 17 lakh bales.
The fertilizers that are beneficial for sowing BT cotton are phosphorus, potash, nitrogen, etc. Plus, usage of modern tractors from Eicher, Mahindra, Escorts, Sonalika, etc. fuels the production process and maximize profits as a whole.
