Cotton crop in Gujarat is likely to be hit due to pink bollworm attack. This would add more woes to the farmer’s life who is already facing trouble due to acute shortage of water.
The monsoon is getting delayed even after initial arrival in cotton growing states. The situation is very much similar in other states like Rajasthan and Maharashtra too.
Not only this year, pink bollworm attack had also taken a major toll on cotton crops in the country in the past as well. BT Cotton is also vulnerable to this pest.
In view of this, cotton farming has been done in only 9,339 hectares in the first week of this month as compared to 49,400 hectares in the same period last year.
Farmers in the state have also been advised to sow once monsoon starts in order to avert pink bollworm attack which has significantly infested cotton cultivation during the last four years.
“Acute water scarcity in cotton sowing area in Gujarat has become major concern. It is likely to result in overall 20 per cent decline in production,” stated Hasmukh Raval, former Chairman of the Gujarat State Co-operative Cotton Federation.
“This season, it is expected to decline by 10 per cent,” added Raval.
Last year, cotton farmers in Telangana were hit by pink bollworm attack on their farms in August during the flowering stage.
The pink bollworm which eats away the cotton fibre and the bolls, causes economic loss to the farmer.
