Cotton: Crying out for change

Cotton: Crying out for change

Why in the news?

Cotton farmers in Northern India suffered heavy losses in the last kharif season.

Cotton Production in India

• Cotton output is estimated at 322 lakh bales (of 170 kg each), down by 48 lakh bales from the target of 370 lakh bales in 2022-23.
• Cotton productivity: It peaked at 566 kg lint per hectare in 2013-14. 2021-22: It reduced to 445 kg lint per hectare, down by 121 kg lint per hectare.
• This dip in cotton production has forced the textile industry to rely on imports, which increased to 35.3 lakh bales worth ₹8,339.26 crore in 2018-19.
• The relaxation in import duty structure would hit the balance of trade in cotton, which remained favourable over the last two decades.
• Cotton exports: They peaked at 116.96 lakh bales worth ₹23,153.24 crore in 2014-15, and have since declined to 47 lakh bales worth ₹8,731.32 crore in 2020-21.

What are the reasons for less cotton productivity?

• The cotton productivity estimate was reported to be at its lowest in the North zone comprising Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.
• North zone cotton, which recorded the highest cotton yield in 2019-20 is now down by over 30%.
• Reasons –The losses are mounting due to the rising cost of cultivation, climate induced change in pest dynamics and rampant sale of unauthorised seeds and unchecked pesticide sprays.
• Health & Environment – The boom and tractor-mounted sprayers are back with unimaginable consequences for human health and the environment.
• Climate Change – Climate change-induced weather aberration, a widespread infestation of boll-devouring pink bollworm, new tobacco streak virus disease and boll rot has recently threatened cotton farmers.
• Crop diseases – The white fly transmitted severe cotton leaf curl virus and the sudden outbreak of para wilt has worsened the situation for North zone farmers.
• Lack of infrastructure – The cotton sector seems to be dogged by some serious structural deficiencies.

What is the impact of low cotton productivity?

• Imbalance in demand-supply – Cotton productivity, has continuously been decelerating, causing an imbalance in the demand-supply of cotton and uncertainty in the cotton textile industry.
• Increase in imports – This dip in cotton production has forced the textile industry to rely on imports, which increased to 35.3 lakh bales worth ₹8,339.26 crore in 2018-19.
• The relaxation in import duty structure would hit the balance of trade in cotton, which remained favourable over the last two decades.
• Decrease in exports – On the other hand, cotton exports, which peaked in 2014-15, have since declined.

What are the strategies used to overcome the challenges?

• HDPS –The cropping system of cotton must gradually undergo a systematic change to a high-density planting system (HDPS).
  • The HDPS is a new cropping system of accommodating more plants per unit area supported by technological inputs for weed management, defoliation and mechanical picking.
• Dibbling – Our farmers practice dibbling-based sowing of bushy-type, long-duration hybrid cotton seeds at a large spacing accommodating fewer plants per acre.
  • The farmers harvest seed cotton 3-4 times in a season-spanning 180 to 280 days in different cotton growing zones.
• Hybrid Cotton – New erect type hybrid cotton genotypes have been introduced to optimise plant population.
  • However, this forms just one-fourth of what is being practised under HDPS in countries with high cotton yields.

Way forward

• Policies –The government-led policy paradigm on cotton must give way to progressive evidence-based policies on pricing of seeds and safeguarding intellectual property.
• Intellectual Property Rights – Enforcement of IPR on new varieties suitable for HDPS while ensuring farmers’ rights must be strengthened to attract investment in R&D and breeding of high-density suitable genotypes.
• Transfer of Seeds – Exchange of pre-breeding germplasm under material transfer agreement (MTA) and access and benefit sharing (ABS) mechanism for cross-border material transfer must be prioritised.
• Price Control – The price control of cotton seeds under the Cotton Seed Price (Control) Order, 2015 has discouraged breeding activities and stalled the introduction of much-needed technologies for weed management.
• This has also fuelled the growth of the illegal market for herbicide-tolerant (HT) cotton.