Cotton acreage to spurt by two lakh hectares in Gujarat

AHMEDABAD: With farmers getting good remunerative prices for their produce, the cotton acreage in Gujarat is expected to spurt by close to two lakh hectares this year, industry experts said here today.

"Cotton sowing is on verge of culmination, and we expect that acreage under this white commodity could spurt by around ten per cent as compared to last year in the state," a Cotton Corporation of India( CCI) official said.

"Last year the acreage under cotton was 26.24 lakh hectares, and this year we expect it to go up at least by 2 lakh hectares," he said.

As per the state agriculture department figures, cotton sowing has taken place on 16.298 lakh hectares, in Gujarat uptill July 12.

"Cotton sowing has been done in nearly 60 per cent of Saurasthra region, but it's still underway in large parts of North Gujarat," Secretary, Saurasthra Ginners Association Anand Popat said.

"Due to early monsoon, cotton sowing in the state began from first week of May and is expected to last till July end, but since the rainfall so far has been quite erratic, the process is still on in parts of Saurashtra," a CCI official said.