Gujarat’s cotton production may fall by 10 to 15 per cent. The main reason is unseasonal rains coupled with the menace of pink bollworm, an insect known for being a pest in cotton farming. Due to the unseasonal rains, the cotton crop is affected by higher moisture. As a result, farmers are selling their yield in the open market at relatively lower prices. Against the minimum support price of Rs 5550 a quintal, farmers are earning around Rs 4000 to Rs 5000 per quintal in the open market.

Gujarat accounts for almost 30 per cent of the total cotton production in the country. This ratio is expected to be maintained despite the adverse conditions as the sowing area of cotton in the state has gone up from 23 lakh hectares in the last season to over 26 lakh hectares.

At one time South Indian textile mills reduced their cotton procurement by around 40 per cent from Gujarat. The reason was increased adulteration in cotton. Faced with a growing demand, ginners in Gujarat reportedly started mixing comber waste in the cotton. This propelled many mill owners to tap other parts of the country for cotton procurement to meet the compliance norms set by buyers.