According to a report of the Indian Cotton Federation (ICF), the delay in monsoons has affected the sentiments of cotton growing farmers in many parts of India. “Cotton growing farmers in areas surrounding Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, a few areas in Marathwada, some areas near Raichur in Karnataka and some pockets of Saurashtra in Gujarat have suffered badly due to delay in monsoon and may opt for alternative cash crops,” the report said. “This in a way is good, considering the huge carry forward cotton stock our trade may carry into the upcoming cotton season as cotton export too has been cut short to approximately 55 lakh bales in the current season as per trade reports,” it added. The ICF Board met on August 8 to discuss the current cotton scenario and expects that the Indian cotton crop could be around 388 lakh bales for the 2014-15 season. They also discussed moisture stress occurring in most of the cotton belts due to delayed second spell of Southwest monsoon as time and again farmers have voiced concerns over moisture stress. ICF, quoting reports also informed that the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) is holding a stock of 43.7 lakh bales as on August 8. In the first fortnight of August 2015, cotton lint prices ruled steady to firm tendency, but mills are reluctant to replenish cotton stock as yarn movement is consistently slow or nil. Due to yarn stock piling, mills have opted to cut production to overcome demand stress, while SIMA has requested the Prime Minister to augment policy initiatives on textiles which is a long pending need. In Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, rains have been delayed but are sufficient for the standing crop and new crop J-34 r/g may start arriving by October. The price quoted for Punjab J-34 r/g was Rs.3700 per maund spot while in Haryana J-34 r/g was priced at Rs.3650 per maund spot and in Rajasthan J-34 r/g was spotted at Rs.3660 per maund spot. “The crop may be approximately between 50 to 55 lakhs as per sowing reports from the cotton trading community,” the report stated. The delay in monsoon has led to Gujarat farmers shifting to other cash crops like groundnuts and turdal in many cotton growing pockets of Gujarat. As per report from the cotton trading community, the cotton crop could drop to a little above 1 crore bales in Gujarat considering the sowing pattern of farmers till date and good quality S-6 stock cotton was assessed at Rs.34,000 spot per candy.
