ADILABAD: Cotton arrivals at the Adilabad market were less than expected in the last five days after commercial operations began on October 14. There could be considerable fall in the cotton yield this Kharif season due to crop damage following the unexpected rains.
There were heavy rains in the first month after the sowing of seeds. Pest attacks were another problem.
Expectations are that cotton purchases will pick up after the Diwali festival. The cotton picking is yet to start in villages while the continuous rains badly hit the cotton yield this Kharif season.
The continuous rains saw drop of cotton flowers and damage to plants due to the stagnation of water in the agriculture fields. Cotton was sown in nearly 4 lakh acres this Kharif in the Adilabad district.
The unexpected rains affected the standing cotton and red gram crops in Bheempur mandal. Agriculture officials have started assessment of damage to cotton and red gram crops and primary reports will soon be submitted to the state government.
Farmers said they have noticed the pink bollworm effect on their standing cotton crop. The effect was in the initial stages in some places in the Adilabad district and the impact of the pink bollworm would be higher in the next two months.
According to official sources, only 350 quintals of cotton from the 22 cotton farmers were purchased at the market from October 14 to 17. Private cotton traders offered Rs 8,300 as starting price for the cotton with upto 8 per cent moisture content at the beginning of the commercial operations on October 14.
Adilabad market yard committee officials say that the cotton picking will gain pace after the Diwali festival. Farmers are not showing interest to bring the cotton to markets as there was high moisture content due to the continuous rains.
