Cotton crop has started arriving in the markets of Punjab and Haryana, and growers can hope for a remunerative price this season. Already, it is so much better than last season.
The price is between `5,000 and `5,400 per quintal against between `4,000 and `4,200 per quintal last season, traders have said. "The new cotton season has opened on a high note, with 20 to 25% appreciation in the price of new stock," North India Cotton Association president Mahesh Sharda told the PTI on Wednesday.
The cotton lint price hovers between `4,650 and `4,725 per maund (37.32 kg), against `3,900 per maund last year. Cotton arrival is on in the markets of Sunam, Bathinda, and Abohar in Punjab, and Sirsa and Fatehabad in Haryana, but it's still low, at almost 1,200 bales a day, as the output from Punjab and Haryana is also likely to be 5% less this season. "The reasons are less acreage coverage in Haryana and the weather impact in Punjab at the time of maturity," said Sharda.
Last month, cotton sown over almost 60,000 hectares was affected because of heavy rain in Punjab's cotton belt of Muktsar. In the season 2013-14, the area under cotton in Punjab shot up to 5.05-lakh hectares, past the target of 5-lakh hectares.
{{/usCountry}}Last month, cotton sown over almost 60,000 hectares was affected because of heavy rain in Punjab's cotton belt of Muktsar. In the season 2013-14, the area under cotton in Punjab shot up to 5.05-lakh hectares, past the target of 5-lakh hectares.
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