Cotton yield may be hit this season on dry spell, pink bollwork menace

The prolonged dry spell during August-September coupled with damages caused by the pink bollworm in North India could impact the cotton yields and quality of the 2023-24 (October-September) crop, according to the trade. The cotton acreage this kharif is lower by 5 per cent and the sowing was delayed by 15-20 days on account of delayed monsoon.

“While it rained in May, June was dry. July saw record heavy rains, while August was completely dry. The first half of September was dry while the second half rained heavily. October is to be watched carefully. The 45 days dry spell of August-September will reduce the yield and affect the quality,” said Atul Ganatra, President, Cotton Association of India (CAI).

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CAI has estimated the September end closing stocks of cotton for the 2022-23 season at 27 lakh bales (24 lakh bales).

The trade expects a clear picture on the 2023-24 crop to emerge by this month-end, Ganatra said, adding that the selling pattern of kapas (raw cotton) has been to be watched. “By slowing down arrivals last season, farmers got yearly average rate of ₹7,500 which was 20 per cent higher than the MSP of ₹6,380. This year’s MSP is ₹7,020 and farmers will be targetting a 20 per cent higher rate like last year. They may prefer to wait and watch the market” Ganatra told an industry event recently. The daily market arrivals, Ganatra said, are estimated at around 50,000-55,000 bales including both the old and new crop.

Ramanuj Das Boob, Vice President of National Cotton Brokers Association and a sourcing agent for multinationals in Raichur, said prices of old kapas is hovering around ₹7,200-7,300 per quintal, while the new kapas is around ₹7,000 levels, nearing the MSP. The decline in cottonseed rate is also exerting pressure on the new kapas.

“Arrivals in markets such as Raichur , Adoni, Yemmiganur and Nandyal among others are in the range of 5000-7000 bales. The market is very slow due to weak demand as yarn mills are not buying cotton. There’s not much of buying interest as still last year’s bales are lying with ginners and traders,” Das Boob said.

The pink bollworm infestation, largely witnessed in North India, is also seen weighing on the crop size and quality. “There has been heavy infestation of PBW spiralling across the cotton growing districts of Haryana and North Rajasthan causing a great deal of losses to the smallholder cotton farmers in Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Sirsa, Fatehabad, Bhiwani and Hisar districts” said Bhagirath Chaudhary of the Jodhpur-based South Asia Biotechnology Centre. 

“This year recorded the highest degree of PBW infestation since first reported in North India in 2021-22. Early flowering of cotton coupled with survival of suicidal population of pink bollworms aggravated the situation resulting in completion of multiple life cycles of the devastating pest in kharif 2023,” Chaudhary said.