Cotton prices in T.N. expected to be around ₹7,000 a quintal for next four months

This price will prevail from March to June this year, the T.N. Agricultural University has said; while the area under cotton cultivation has gone up, demand from the domestic textile industry is low this year and export prices are under pressure

The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University expects cotton farmers in the State to get ₹7,000 to ₹7,500 a quintal, between March and June this year.

According to a press release from the University, the area under cotton cultivation in 2021-2022 was 1.48 lakh hectares, which is 7.5% more than it was the previous year. Unlike other cotton-growing States, Tamil Nadu has three major sowing seasons for cotton: Maasipattam, Aadipattam, and Karthigaipattam.

Sources at the University said sowing is going on at present for Maasipattam, and the Aadipattam arrivals are nearing completion. So far, the area under cotton sowing in the State has remained normal, and farmers are expecting good prices.

Last year, the prices went very high. However, demand for cotton from the textile industry is low this year. Only about 40% of the textile industry is functioning in the Tiruppur - Coimbatoret region and, in the next few weeks, summer cotton will start arriving. There is demand for cotton for textile exports, but prices are under pressure for the industry. Hence, cotton offtake remains relatively low.

There are also reports of dry spells this year, which may affect yield. So prices will stabilise soon and  may not fall lower or go as high as last season, the sources said.