Method of Cotton Production:
In many parts of India, cotton is grown in rotation with oilseeds, pulses and millets. The sowing and harvesting time vary regionally according to the environmental conditions.
1. In Punjab and Haryana, cotton is sown in April- May and harvested in December-January. This is to avoid the winter frost, which can otherwise destroy the crop.
2. In South India, cotton is sown up to October and accordingly harvested between January and May. There is no danger of winter frost in these areas.
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The old traditional method of sowing cotton by broadcasting is being replaced in many areas by drilling. The cotton plant grows to a height of more than 1 metre. The cotton bolls appear in about 6 months. Some weeding is required to help grow the plants.
When the cotton bolls mature, they burst open. Immediately after this, the cotton fluff should be picked. This is to avoid the risk of damage by rain, fog, dust or pests. Normally, there are three or four pickings of cotton in one season.
The cotton plant should be protected from pests and diseases, such as boll worms, boll weevils and wilt. Insecticides and fungicides need to be sprayed at appropriate time. The picked cotton bolls are passed through ginning machines that separate the fibre from the seed.
Areas of Cotton Production:
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India has the largest area under cotton cultivation in the world. It is the third largest producer of cotton, after China and USA. India produces about 135 lakh bales of cotton (one bale = 170 kg) from 90 lakh hectares of land. The average yield of cotton is about 250 kg per hectare.
The increase in the production and yield of cotton is due to large scale commercial cultivation of high yielding hybrid varieties in long and extra long staples. Still the yield in India is just half of the world average. The pattern of production has also changed over the years. About 40 per cent of the total production comprises of long staple cotton. The production of short staple cotton is declining.
The cotton producing regions can be divided into two parts.
1. The northern part includes Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
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2. The southern part includes Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana together produce more than two-thirds of the total cotton in India. The highest yield comes from Punjab. The northern states mostly grow long staple hybrid variety of cotton. The government is the biggest buyer of raw cotton in India. It ensures a fair price for farmers and an unadulterated pure quality.
India is an exporter as well as importer of cotton. India exports short staple cotton mainly to UK, Japan and others, where it is mixed up with superior quality cotton. India imports superior quality long staple cotton from USA, Russia, Egypt, Sudan and Kenya.