The region, known as the cotton belt of Haryana, has assumed significance this year, as there has been a record sowing of cotton, on 6.3 lakh hectares, which is over a quarter more than the 5 lakh ha in the corresponding period last year.
“More and more farmers are going for cotton this year and the official estimates project that the total area of cultivation would come to 6.53 lakh ha as against 5.7 lakh ha in 2016-17,” says Roshan Lal, a former professor of entomology at the Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar.
“Many farmers who grew pulses, such as pigeonpea, and green gram or oilseeds, such as groundnut, are going for cotton as the cash crop fetched a good price last year,” he says.
In 2016, Haryana’s cotton growers had a bountiful yield after white fly attacks for three years in a row led to dwindling of the yield.
“Farmers in the region were left with limited choice as many areas suffer from water scarcity and hence were not suitable for paddy,” says Chandrabhan, who grows cotton in Buthan Kalan village of Fatehabad district.
According to statistics available from Fatehabad district officials, cotton is grown on over 72,500 ha out of 2.5 lakh ha of cultivable land.
Source: www.thehindubusinessline.com