Nagpur: Over 550 cotton farmers from Nagpur and Wardha districts have recorded a three times jump in production of the cash crop under the high density planting system (HDPS) pilot project implemented in Maharashtra in 2023-24.
The central government had announced an incentiveof ₹16,000 per hectare for farmers adopting HDPS in a bid to increase production.
Vidarbha farmers had been producing an average of 6-10 quintal cotton per acre with the conventional methods.
On Saturday, high-achiever farmers from Nagpur and Wardha districts were honoured for adopting the HDPS method and producing more than double cotton compared to the previous season. The highest of 19 quintal per acre was recorded by a 30-year-old farmer from Wardha.
Swapnil Shelke (30), a native of Chestur village, Ashti, Wardha, gained 19 quintals after adopting HDPS method. “This is the first time I got 19 quintals cotton on the same piece of area. Earlier, my production touched a maximum of 12 quintals per acre. This was possibly mainly because our land is irrigated. In non-irrigated area, the production ranges 7-8 quintals per acre,” he said.
Shelke had invested ₹40,000 while he earned ₹1.42lakh from his 8-acre land.
Krupakar Barbuddhe (50) from Valdur in Hinganghat too used HDPS for the first time and managed to get 18 quintals per acre. “Before this, I used to reap 9-10 quintals per acre. This time I got good profits,” he said.
Barbuddhe said seven more farmers from his village tried HDPS and were satisfied with the high production.
Some farmers like Krishna Bhavik (73) and Pravin Kherde from Selu in Wardha didn’t get as high cotton production as others but are happy a marginal increase in the total ouput. “Usually we get 11-12 quintals from two acre land but this time it was 15. Maybe soil, climate change, water availability affected the output,” Bhavik said.
CITI-CDRA (Confederation of Indian textile industry-cotton development and research association) was the implementing agency through ICAR-Central Institute of Cotton Research.
Cotton advisor Govind Wairale, who is co-ordinator for CITI-CDRA in Maharashtra, said the state has highest area of 42.22lakh hectare under cotton cultivation but the lint yield is mere 305kg per hectare.
The central government had announced an incentiveof ₹16,000 per hectare for farmers adopting HDPS in a bid to increase production.
Vidarbha farmers had been producing an average of 6-10 quintal cotton per acre with the conventional methods.
On Saturday, high-achiever farmers from Nagpur and Wardha districts were honoured for adopting the HDPS method and producing more than double cotton compared to the previous season. The highest of 19 quintal per acre was recorded by a 30-year-old farmer from Wardha.
Swapnil Shelke (30), a native of Chestur village, Ashti, Wardha, gained 19 quintals after adopting HDPS method. “This is the first time I got 19 quintals cotton on the same piece of area. Earlier, my production touched a maximum of 12 quintals per acre. This was possibly mainly because our land is irrigated. In non-irrigated area, the production ranges 7-8 quintals per acre,” he said.
Shelke had invested ₹40,000 while he earned ₹1.42lakh from his 8-acre land.
Krupakar Barbuddhe (50) from Valdur in Hinganghat too used HDPS for the first time and managed to get 18 quintals per acre. “Before this, I used to reap 9-10 quintals per acre. This time I got good profits,” he said.
Barbuddhe said seven more farmers from his village tried HDPS and were satisfied with the high production.
Some farmers like Krishna Bhavik (73) and Pravin Kherde from Selu in Wardha didn’t get as high cotton production as others but are happy a marginal increase in the total ouput. “Usually we get 11-12 quintals from two acre land but this time it was 15. Maybe soil, climate change, water availability affected the output,” Bhavik said.
CITI-CDRA (Confederation of Indian textile industry-cotton development and research association) was the implementing agency through ICAR-Central Institute of Cotton Research.
Cotton advisor Govind Wairale, who is co-ordinator for CITI-CDRA in Maharashtra, said the state has highest area of 42.22lakh hectare under cotton cultivation but the lint yield is mere 305kg per hectare.
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