As the kharif sowing season heads for closure, cotton acreage this kharif is seen at par with last year’s levels, topping 108 lakh hectares (lh) as of August 21. Southern States such as Telangana, Andhra, Karnataka, besides Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh have seen the cotton area expand, offsetting declines in Maharashtra and Rajasthan, while stakeholders said September rains are crucial to boost yields.
Cotton acreage, so far, is 108.45 lh, a tad lower than 108.73 lh a year ago.
In Maharashtra, the state with the largest cotton area, acreage was 38.22 lh, a tad lower than the corresponding 38.37 lh a year ago. Similarly, in Rajasthan, it was lower by around 6 per cent at 5.38 lh (6.44 lh in the same period last year). However, the decline in these states is offset by higher area in Telangana and Karnataka, among others.
