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70,000 bales of cotton yield expected next season

UNB, Dhaka
The country is likely to see some 70,000 bales of cotton production in the next season, as the Cotton Development Board (CDB) has planned to bring more lands under hybrid cotton cultivation.
“In the 2010-11 season, we're expecting some 70,000 bales of cotton harvest, as hybrid cotton will be cultivated on new lands apart from the traditional ones,” said Dewan Md Intajul Islam, executive director of CDB.
He said the use of hybrid seeds would be raised by three times next year and more plain areas of Habiganj and the three hilly districts would be brought under its cultivation.
The CDB chief also hoped that they would be able to raise the cotton production to one lakh bales in the next five years by encouraging the farmers for using hybrid seeds.
In the 2009-10 season, some 31,500 hectares of land were brought under cotton cultivation with a production target of 60,000 bales.
Of the total land, 289 hectares were brought under cultivation of two hybrid varieties -- HSC-4 and DM-1. Around 3 to 3.5 tonnes of cotton are expected to be produced in each hectare (1 hectare=2.47 acres) compared to two tonnes from traditional CB-9.
In the 2008-09 season, some 32,600 hectares of land were brought under the cultivation from where 50,175 bales of cotton
were harvested.
In the current season, the farmers have started growing hybrid cotton after two local business houses -- Supreme Seed Company and Lal Teer Seed -- began marketing the Chinese variety of hybrid seeds.
“The fibre length of die hybrid variety is also better than the traditional one, "Intajul added.
The quality and market price of hybrid cotton is also higher -Tk 200 to Tk 300 - than the traditional one. The hybrid cotton is now sellingatTk 1,800 per maund.
But, considering the demand of the country's textile industries, die local producers can meet 3 to 5 percent of (he demand as the textile sector needs to import around 35 lakh bales of cotton a year which is around 95 to 97 percent of the total demand.
Talking to the news agency, Abdul Hai Sarker, president of Bangladesh Ibxtile Mills Association (BTMA), said they would welcome any CDB initiative to give a boost to cotton cultivation.
"We'll extend our cooperation to die CDB in diis regard. We'll buy the additional production, as wc need around 3.5 million bales of cotton ayear."
The main raw cotton-importing countries are Chad, Mali, Sudan and Zimbabwe.
Of the existing traditional varieties of seeds like CB1, CB2, CB9 and CB10, CB9 is cultivated on around 90 percent of the total land, said CDB Deputy Director M Farid Uddin.
He said the traditional seeds have a yield of 2 tons per hectare compared to 3.5 tons per hectare from HSC-4 (Supreme Seed) and DM-1 (Lal Teer).
Ashraful Islam, a cotton farmer in Jhenaidah, said: "The hybrid variety works well. I'm hopeful aboutabetteryield."
Ashraful, who has planted hybrid seeds on two acres of land, expects around 30 maunds of cotton per bigha (33 decimal). “By using traditional variety such as CB-9,1 used to harvest as much as 10 maunds per bigha. The hybrid variety offers better yields and prices," he said, adding: "But. one of the problems with the hybrid seed is its high price."
The price of a kilogram of HSC-4 seeds of Supreme Seed Company is around Tk 2,000 while. DM-1 of Lal Teer costs around Tk 1,700. On the other hand, the price of traditional seeds isTk 20 per kg.
“Despite the additional cost, the hybrid seed is still profitable for the cotton farmers as it takes only 1.5 kg to 2 kg for per bigha which is much lower than that of the traditional ones," said Farid.
He said CDB has recently submitted a development project proposal (DPP) to Planning Commission for a five-year project tiled 'Strengthening Cotton Research in Bangladesh' to be implemented from July 2010.
Under the project, CDB would take initiatives to strengthen its research activities, set up laboratories, procure equipment and develop infrastructural facilities.