Contrary to earlier expectations of a lower coverage of the fibre crop, cotton acreage in Andhra Pradesh is lower this year at 21.50 lakh hectares compared to last year’s 22 lakh hectares. The normal area under cotton in the state is 15 lakh hectares.  The seed industry, farmers and the government had initially expected the area under cotton to be far lower than last year. With conducive weather, officials of the Agriculture Department are pegging the yield at 480 kg a hectare against the average 373 kg, a 29 per cent rise. Hence, production is likely to be 60 lakh bales, 50 per cent higher compared with the average 40 lakh bales. The total production will be 7 per cent higher over last year’s production of 56 lakh bales.

Officials had expected the crop coverage to be lower this year, keeping in mind the crash in prices last year. The situation, however, has gradually changed as the rain-fed region of Telangana received bountiful rains, reviving the hopes of cotton growers. Farmers in the Rayalaseema region doubled the area under cotton to 2 lakh hectares against the normal area of 1 lakh hectares. It surpassed last year’s coverage of 1.92 lakh hectares. 

agricoop.nic.in