Himanshu Kaushik TNN
Ahmedabad: The cotton and ground nut crop in the state has failed. According to an estimate, about 60 per cent of the cotton has failed in the state.
Sources in the industry said that the cotton crop has turned yellow, while the groundnuts are very small as compared to its regular size. Officials said that the cotton crop in Saurashtra, Kutch, Mehsana, Patan and Banaskantha has totally failed.
Crops like cotton and groundnut that had been sown earlier in the beginning of the monsoon have failed on account of rain deficiency that was experienced for most of the last two months.
Karansinh Merubhai, a farmer in Surendranagar said, “The flower that has grown is yellow, we are making efforts to turn it white again. If the crop does not turn white, it will not be useful for the industry and the farmers will be forced to sell the crop at a throw away price. ”Hasmukh Patel, a farmer in Dhari said, “Initially when there were no rains, the crop began to wither. We tried everything but were help-less. Now I am cultivating castor as an alternate crop. There are several farmers who are complaining that the crop has turned yellow,” he too said.
R K Tripathy, principal secretary, Agriculture and Co-operation department admitted that the cotton crop had turned yellow. “We are now taking steps to revive the crop back to white and are hopeful.” Y B Rana, president, Cotton Seed Association too expressed similar feeling as Merubhai. “The cotton crop will definitely register a fall in the production.” According to an estimate, there will be a drop of about 40 per cent in the production in Surendranagar district.
Samir Shah, president of Saurashtra Oil Miller’s Association too said “According to the estimate of SOMA, the cotton crop has failed and the production will be just 40 per cent.” He said that not just the ginning industry but even the cotton oil industry would also be affected.
