CAB Sets Up Cotton Panel For Production Push

Industry news

CAB Sets Up Cotton Panel For Production Push

The Cotton Advisory Board (CAB) has set up a sub-committee that will work on ensuring sustainability of cotton production, according to a senior official in the Ministry of Textiles. This follows concerns that actual cotton production could turn out to be lesser than estimates. Industry sources here said that in its previous meeting, the CAB had estimated that the cotton production this season (October 2015-September 2016) would touch 352 lakh bales. However, the actual production could be lower than the estimated level, with the average yield now being 500 kg per hectare as against 570 kg a hectare a few years ago. The ministry official also said that since both the Agriculture and Textile ministries have an interest in the crop, another such sub-committee, or more, may be formed to jointly lay out a roadmap for sustainable production.

Adequate stock

Sources in the trade said that the price of Shankar - 6 cotton, a variety popular with textile mills, was Rs 33,300 a candy on April 1, going up to Rs 36,500 a candy by the end of April, before settling at Rs 35,000. However, there is no complaint of shortage of cotton. "We have adequate stocks," the official said. The area under cotton in Punjab, Rajasthan, and Haryana is expected to decline, even as farmers in Maharashtra and Telengana show little interest in the crop, said K.N. Viswanathan, vice-president of the Indian Cotton Federation. A clearer picture would emerge after the monsoon set in, he added.