THE cotton crop in Sindh is, by and large, doing well these days. Cotton picking in lower Sindh was in full swing until it rained in the first week of August.

A couple of moderate to heavy spells of rainfall may have a negative impact on cotton quality and affect market rates for a short while. Prices, otherwise, have been attractive for growers ever-since picking started this season.

In Sindh, sowing was done on 629,000ha against a target of 660,000ha, set by the agriculture department for the 2016-17 season. Since 2011-12, Sindh has been missing the sowing target owing to various reasons.

While farmers in the upper Sindh region still have some time before picking starts, their lower Sindh counterparts have taken full advantage of their early bird status to secure a price of Rs3,200 to Rs3,400 per 40kg. It is only in the second week of August that cotton producers started complaining about a drop in prices, owing to the crop’s quality being affected by rains. Rains, which offset the impact of shortage of irrigation water reported in the lower Sindh areas, have also made farmers miss one healthy picking at least.

Ginners are adding to the crop’s weight by 2kg per 40kKg, taking 42kg of crop while making payment to growers for just 40kg. Ginners claim that due to rain the crop contains a higher level of moisture and has become discoloured.

Progressive cotton growers say the crop’s per acre yield is satisfactory as it remains free of pest

Progressive cotton growers told this scribe that the crop’s per acre yield is satisfactory as it remains free of pest. Last year the pink bollworm was widespread and affected productivity, forcing farmers to terminate crops and go for an early sowing of wheat.

“We feel that if the situation remains the same, picking will continue until November,” says farmer Mahmood Nawaz Shah. He says presently around 24 to 25kgs of seed cotton an acre have been obtained from a couple of pickings. But, he says, the agriculture research department needs to come up with its findings on the ups and downs of the crop so that suitable policies can be evolved.

Nadeem Shah, a grower from Matiari, says that the cotton price has dropped by Rs600 per 40kg and ginners are paying Rs2,800 instead of Rs3,400 per 40kg, arguing that the crop’s quality has been affected ever-since it rained. He asserts that ginners exploit small farmers, especially in the Badin, Thatta and Mirpurkhas districts, where growers sell their produce almost on a daily basis for they lack the capacity to hold the crop. Those who have holding capacity remain in a better position to bargain with the ginners.

Since rains have not yet proved damaging for crops, a safe assumption is that the cotton price will again go up in lower Sindh, provided international prices remained stable. This year the growers applied preoper doses of urea, taking advantage of the subsidy to get a couple of initial healthy pickings. Correspondingly, farmers got a price of Rs2,200 to Rs2,500 per 40kg for last year’s crop.

Mahmood Nawaz Shah considers the present situation as a sign of the revival of the cotton crop in Sindh, as growers had earlier started switching over to other crops with a shorter growth period, like sugarcane and paddy. But, he says, growers are at an advantageous position price-wise due to an international market where China is importing crop.

Ginners also subscribe to the growers’ view that it is the international market that has largely benefited farmers while at the same time cotton crop across the country witnessed lower acreage. In Sindh too, acreage dropped by four to five per cent, says a ginner from Sanghar. Thus the price of seed cotton has improved to Rs1,500-1,550/40kg this year as compared to last year’s average price of Rs1,200 per 40kg.

Reports from upper Sindh do indicate that rains have caused some damage to cotton crop that was at the flowering stage. Besides, breaches have also been reported in the command area of Ghotki Feeder canal of Guddu barrage, where cotton is also largely grown.

Published in Dawn, Business & Finance weekly, August 15th, 2016