The cotton sowing area of India increased by 6.72% to 121.130 lakh hectare as of the first week of August, media reports.
According to the report, states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka recorded higher sowing area as farmers shifted to cotton after the crop fetched record prices in last season.
However, cotton sowing declined in Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana.
In the same period of the last season, India sowed cotton in acreage of 113.505 lakh ha.
However, in north zone, sowing area increased by 7.99% in Rajasthan to 6.471 lakh ha against 5.992 lakh ha of last season but the area decreased 2.40% in Punjab (2.48 lakh ha) and 5.38 per cent in Haryana (6.510 lakh ha).
In central zone, cotton sowing increased by 12.69% in Gujarat to 25.044 lakh ha and 7.68% in Maharashtra to 41.716 lakh ha but the area decreased by 0.17% in Madhya Pradesh to 5.99 lakh ha, reports read.
In south zone, Telangana noted steep fall of 8.90% to 18.383 lakh ha but the area jumped 31.18% in Andhra Pradesh to 4.670 lakh ha, 45.92% in Karnataka to 7.395 lakh ha, and 86.96% in Tamil Nadu to 0.129 lakh ha.
Cotton acreage increased 10.69% in Odisha to 2.082 lakh ha.
Industry sources said to the media that cotton crop is progressing well in all the regions and there is no report of any adversary about the crop.
However, the next 15 days are considered very crucial as excessive rains in some areas may create some problems like disease and pest attacks.
Moreover, delayed rains in some areas may also affect progress of the crop.
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