Gandhinagar, 26 May 2021
Many farmers in Gujarat have started sowing cotton before every year, just like Baris. Many farmers have already planted cotton on 15 May 2021 in Padra, Vadodara district. In Gujarat, irrigation can be done in 10 thousand hectares till 1 June. Irrigation can be done in 5 lakh hectares till June 15 before the rains. Cotton was grown on 6 lakh hectares of irrigation before Baris last year.
Corona has reduced the prices of cotton of farmers, due to which less sowing can be done this time. This is because the total area of cotton can be about 18 lakh hectares. Pre-sowing of cotton in the remaining 3 regions of Gujarat may be less than last year in Saurashtra.
It is estimated that Bt cotton will be 11-12 lakh hectares. This time the caterpillar had a major disease in cotton. Cotton also received rain. In such a situation, the farmers have suffered a lot. Like last year, farmers in Saurashtra can give more preference to groundnut this year over cotton. Because peanuts have got good prices. China had purchased large quantities of peanuts from Saurashtra. Because the peanut crop in China had deteriorated.
Before the first monsoon rains, 6 lakh hectares of cotton had been sown by June 15, 2020. Out of which 90 percent cotton was cultivated in Saurashtra.
By June 1, 2020, cotton had been sown on 13,000 hectares in Gujarat. In which Junagadh, Jamnagar, Surendra Nagar were at the forefront.
All 11 districts of Saurashtra had prior planting. Maximum cotton was sown in 2 lakh hectares in Amreli, 82 thousand hectares in Bhavnagar, 82 thousand hectares in Rajkot and 43 thousand hectares in Botad.
After the monsoon rains
The total area of cotton as on 13 July 2020 was 20 lakh hectares.
At the same time, 21 lakh hectares of cotton was sown in 2019. Sowing was done in 3.3 lakh hectares in Amreli, 2.24 lakh in Bhavnagar and 2 lakh hectares in Rajkot.
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