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Channi announces every cotton cultivator will be duly compensated for loss due to pink bollworm attackPunjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Sunday announced that every cotton cultivator who has suffered loss due to attack of Pink Bollworm attack will be duly compensated by the government.The Chief Minister, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, undertook whirlwind tour of the cotton belt in the Malwa region of the state today to assess the loss.At village Nasibpura and Kataar Singh Wala, Mr Channi asked the officers of Agriculture and farmers welfare department to set up various labs across the state to test and certify seed quality so as to prevent recurrence of such pest attacks.The Chief Minister asked the officers to pump in all the resources in terms of best available insecticides and pesticides to save the precious crop of the farmers from these attacks.He unequivocally said that the state government is solidly behind the farmers in this hour of crisis. He said that every single penny of the loss incurred by the farmers will be credited directly into their accounts by the Punjab government. He asked the officer to complete the survey of the loss at the earliest so that farmers can be duly compensated.Mr Channi said that the first target is to check the further spread of this attack by taking the necessary preventive measures. He asked the officers to pull all the plugs and ensure the loss to farmers is minimised.The Chief Minister assured the farmers that the state government is fully committed for safeguarding their interests in this hour of crisis.

Rupee depreciates against dollar, loses 3 paiseRupee opened with weakness today against the dollar in the foreign exchange market. Today the rupee opened with a weakness of 3 paise at Rs 73.72 against the dollar. At the same time, on Friday, the rupee closed at Rs 73.69 with a weakness of 5 paise against the dollar.Sensex's new record opened up by 255 pointsToday the stock market opened again with a record high. Today the BSE Sensex rose by about 255.32 points to open at a record level of 60303.79. On the other hand, the Nifty of NSE opened at a record level of 17932.20 points with a gain of 79.00 points. 

*India Weather Forecast for September 27, 2021** Weather systems made across the country *A cyclonic storm Gulab, over Northwest and adjoining West Central Bay of Bengal, has progressed with a speed of 10 kmph during the last 6 hours. At 5:30 on 26 September, it was approximately 18.3 degrees latitude and 87.3 longitudes, 270 km east southeast of Gopalpur and 330 km east of Kalingapatnam. It will move westwards and cross north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha coast between Kalingapatnam and Gopalpur around midnight. At the time of landfall, the wind speed can range from 75 to 85 kmph to 90-100 kmph.*The cyclonic circulation is over Northeast Arabian Sea.*The Monsoon trough is passing through Jaisalmer, Kota, Raipur, Puri and then east-southeastwards towards the center of Cyclone Gulab.*A cyclonic circulation is persisting over northern parts of Madhya Pradesh.*Another cyclonic circulation is very likely over northeast and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal around September 27, which may influence the formation of a low pressure area.*Weather movement across the country during the last 24 hours*During the last 24 hours, isolated heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places over Madhya Pradesh, parts of North Gujarat, Telangana, isolated parts of North Gujarat, North Interior Karnataka, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu .Light to moderate rain occurred over parts of Uttar Pradesh, East Rajasthan, Gujarat region, parts of Chhattisgarh, isolated parts of Haryana, Coastal Odisha, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.Light rain occurred over parts of Uttarakhand, parts of West Bengal, Sikkim, isolated parts of Northeast India, Interior Odisha and Kerala.*Probable weather activity during next 24 hours*During the next 24 hours, light to moderate rain with some heavy to very heavy rain is likely over Coastal Odisha and Coastal Andhra Pradesh.Light to moderate rain with isolated heavy falls at isolated places over Interior Odisha, parts of Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha, Marathwada, Telangana, parts of Madhya Pradesh, southeast Rajasthan and Gujarat, Kerala and Andaman & Nicobar Islands it might rain.Light to moderate rain may occur over West Bengal, parts of Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Konkan & Goa, Madhya Maharashtra and Northeast India.

One-third of cotton area in Punjab under pink bollworm pest attackCotton pest pink bollworm spreading its tentacles rapidly as it is above economic threshold level in many Punjab districts, especially Mansa and Bathinda, says agriculture departmentNearly one-third (33%) of a total of 3.25 lakh hectares of area under cotton cultivation in Punjab is presently under attack of the pink bollworm pest, officials of the state agriculture department said.Adding to the worries of cotton growers and the agriculture department, the pest is spreading its tentacles rapidly as it is above economic threshold level in many districts, especially Mansa and Bathinda. It means there are more than six adult pink bollworm insect present in a leaf.Economic threshold is a level at which monetary returns remain higher than the cost of controlling the pest. The state government has ordered special girdwari (assessment) to ascertain the damage to the cotton crop after the pest attack.Agriculture experts fear that the pest attack has entered a phase wherein it would not only reduce the crop yield but will also result in huge financial losses to farmers.Several farmers in Bathinda and Mansa have ploughed their standing crop as it got completely damaged due to the pest attack.State agriculture commissioner BS Sidhu said the department will provide all logistical and technical support to the farmers to control further infestation of pink bollworm. “We are monitoring the situation closely,” he said.Agriculture director Sukhdev Singh Sidhu said the exact damage could be ascertained only after special girdwari ordered by the state government. “The pest attack is scattered. For instance, it has largely affected health of the crop in a village, but there is minimal impact in adjacent areas,” Sidhu said.Officials are carrying out field surveys on a regular basis to gather first-hand information on the pest attack impact so that corrective measures could be taken, he added.Sangrur chief agriculture officer Jaswinderpal Singh Grewal said 2,600 hectare area in Sunam and Lehragaga sub-divisions is under cotton cultivation. “The pest has not crossed economic threshold here as yet. But it is spreading from one field to other at a rapid speed which is a cause of worry,” he said.First major attack since 2015An official said it is the first major pest attack on cotton crop in the state since 2015 when a severe whitefly attack was reported.The crop had witnessed extensive damage as nearly 75% of total area faced pest attack. The cotton yield had reduced to 197kg per hectare than 544kg per hectare in 2014.The cotton production witnessed a steep fall from 13.47 lakh bales to 3.86 lakh bales.

PAKISTAN COTTON MARKET UPDATESpot rate improves slightly in process of tradingThe Spot Rate Committee of the Karachi Cotton Association (KCA) on Friday increased the spot rate by RS 100 per maund and closed it at Rs 12800 per maund. The Spot Rate Committee of the Karachi Cotton Association on Friday increased the spot rate by RS 100 per maund and closed it at Rs 12800 per maund. The Polyester Fiber was available at Rs 222 per kg.The local cotton market on Friday remained stable and trading volume remained a little bit low. Cotton Analyst Naseem Usman told Business Recorder that due to rains in the cotton areas of Sindh and Punjab may effect the quality of Phutti. The rate of cotton in Sindh is in between Rs 11700 to Rs 13200 per maund and the rate of cotton in Punjab is in between Rs 13200 to Rs 13500 per maund.The rate of the new crop of Phutti in Sindh was in between Rs 5300 to Rs 5800 per 40 Kg. The rate of Phutti in Punjab is in between Rs 5500 to Rs 5800 per 40 kg. The rate of Banola in Sindh is in between Rs 1500 to Rs 1700 per maund. The rate of Banola in Punjab is in between Rs 1600 to Rs 1800 per maund. The rate of cotton in Balochistan is in between Rs 12300- 12400 per maund. The rate of Phutti in Balochistan is Rs 6000- 6500 per maund.Khurram Shahzad MNA argued that cotton yarn worth $ 1 billion could manufacture cloth of $14billion which could be exported instead of exporting only cotton yarn.

All India Weather Forecast for September 25, 2021Weather systems made across the countryThe Monsoon Cyclonic Circulation is persisting over Western parts of Madhya Pradesh, another Cyclonic Circulation is persisting over Gujarat. A Low Pressure Line is extending from Rayalaseema to Comorin area, which is passing through Interior Tamil Nadu.Weather movement across the country during the last 24 hoursDuring the last 24 hours, parts of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, parts of Haryana, parts of Rajasthan, many parts of Gujarat, parts of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Marathwada, Sikkim and 1-2 parts of South-West Madhya Pradesh and Light to moderate rain with isolated heavy falls occurred over parts of East Uttar Pradesh. Light to moderate rain occurred over remaining parts of Madhya Pradesh, Konkan & Goa, remaining parts of Chhattisgarh, parts of Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal, parts of Nagaland, Mizoram, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, parts of Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Coastal Karnataka .Light rain occurred over western parts of Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Kerala, Lakshadweep, isolated parts of Bihar and rest of Northeast India.Possible weather activity during next 24 hoursDuring the next 24 hours, light to moderate rain with isolated heavy rain is likely over Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Southeast Rajasthan, parts of Vidarbha, Marathwada, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Gujarat.Light to moderate rain in some parts of Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland, South Assam, parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, parts of Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal Light rain is possible in one or two parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Madhya Maharashtra, Karnataka, West Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab.

Today evening, the rupee depreciated by 5 paise to close at Rs 73.70 against the dollar.Closed above 60,000 mark for the first timeToday the stock market closed with a record high. Today the Sensex was successful in closing above the 60,000 mark for the first time. The Sensex closed at a record level of 60048.47 points, up by about 163.11 points. 

Extra long staple cotton prices surge on fears of supply shortageRaw cotton prices are ruling between ₹11,000 and ₹13,000 per quintal this year as against ₹5,500-6,500 per quintal last year.Prices of the extra long staple Dharwad Hybrid Cotton-32 (DCH-32) have almost doubled over the past year on fears of a shortfall in production due to lower planting of the crop. Also, the global rally in varieties such as Pima and Giza has influenced domestic prices, trade sources said.DCH kapas (raw cotton) prices are ruling between ₹11,000 and ₹13,000 per quintal in markets such as Chitradurga and Ranebennur in Karnataka, said Shantilal P Ostawal of Cotseeds Corporation, a ginner in Hubballi. Ostawal said the prices were ₹5,500-6,500 per quintal last year.Advantage KarnatakaCotton with fibre length of over 33 mm are considered as ELS and DCH-32 is mainly grown in parts of Mysuru, Shimoga, Haveri, Chitradurga, Dharwad and Belgaum districts in Karnataka. It is also grown in regions around Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh, Ostwal said.ELS varieties such as Surabhi and Suvin are grown in Tamil Nadu, but the area is less. DCH grown in Mysuru region finds it way to Tamil Nadu for ginning and pressing, Ostwal said.Karnataka accounts for 50-60 per cent share of the ELS cotton produced in the country, followed by Madhya Pradesh with around 30 per cent and Tamil Nadu accounting for the rest, Ostwal said.Overall production for DCH 32 stood at 2.35 lakh bales last year, with production in Karnataka estimated at 1.10 lakh bales. “This year the crop is estimated lower in Karnataka at around 75,000 bales, Madhya Pradesh at 60,000-70,000 bales and Tamil Nadu 5,000 bales,” Ostwal said.Growers’ problemsOver the past 3-4 years, the ELS cotton has been witnessing an uptrend, said Appuswamy Lakshmanan, Director, Sri Santhalakshmi Mills in Pollachi. However, due to difficulties faced in growing ELS cotton, more farmers are shifting to the regular Bt varieties.“The period of ELS cultivation is pretty long compared to the short or medium staple cotton. The ELS crop cycle takes a minimum of six months and farmers, not wanting to take any risks, are shifting to Bt cotton and that’s the reason the area is coming down,” Lakshmanan said. Moreover, the minimum support price for ELS is not remunerative, he said, adding that concerted efforts were required to bring back farmers to cultivating the premium cotton.In India, Bt cotton accounts for over 97 per cent of the cotton acreage.Susceptible to pink bollwormM Ramaswami, Rasi Seeds Managing Director, said yields are lower by 25 per cent in ELS compared to Bt cotton. Also, DCH is susceptible to the pink bollworm.Pima and Giza cotton prices have flared up in the US on crop shortage and are ruling at around 230 cents per pound, double the 110-115 cents last year, said Ramanuj Das Boob, a sourcing agent for domestic mills and multinational companies. DCH cotton prices, which ruled at Rs 1.03-1.04 lakh per candy of 356 kg last week, have now increased to Rs 1.07 lakh. ELS cotton is used for blending in yarn to add strength and exported, Boob said. Besides, higher count cotton is also used for clothing and linen. The imported price of ELS cotton into India with a 10 per cent duty costs around Rs 1.30 lakh a candy

Cotton farmers make rich pickings, potato growers in perilWhile cotton growers in Karnataka are reaping a bounty, with the price of raw cotton soaring to a record high, the price of raw cotton, which used to be in the range of Rs 5,000-6,000 per quintal, has more than doubled to between Rs 11,500 and Rs 13,000 per quintal in different parts of the state. The minimum support price for the crop is Rs 5,500 per quintal.After a couple of lacklustre years, this season has been a blockbuster for cotton growers with agents and traders from neighbouring states making a beeline to villages in HD Kote, Saragur, Nanjangud, Hunsur and Gundlupet taluks in the Old Mysuru region where farmers are commanding the prices.Most of the buyers are from Tamil Nadu as a majority of textile industries are situated in Tirupur and Erode where raw cotton is processed and the yarn exported to Bangladesh. Cotton trader Cheluvaraju said they have orders from dealers in Tamil Nadu and other states too. Villages in HD Kote region witness early monsoon and hence, sowing and harvest start early. Usually, about 47,000 hectares comes under cotton cultivation in the region, but it had dropped to about 30,000 hectares this season.According to progressive farmer Kariyappa, the scanty rains and the truant monsoon in early April and May has had an impact on sowing activity, which has also contributed to the high demand for cotton.Many farmers opt for BT cottonKariyappa said that many farmers shifted to maize this time as the cost of cultivation is also less. Concurring with him, Ashoka, a farmer from Hanchipura, pointed out that those who stuck with cotton cultivation are getting bumper yields and good returns.Most of them have bid goodbye to traditional cotton varieties and opted for the hybrid BT cotton as it is disease-resistant and yields sooner. Traders in some parts like Chitradurga are buying raw cotton at Rs 13,000 per quintal, but middlemen are taking farmers for a ride in Saragur taluk, he rued.Referring to the shortage of farm labour, he said cotton growers are struggling to complete harvesting early as they fear that the prices may drop once cotton from Telangana and Maharashtra arrives in the market.

Rupee depreciates against dollar, loses 11 paiseRupee opened with weakness today against the dollar in the foreign exchange market. Today the rupee opened with a weakness of 11 paise at Rs 73.76 against the dollar. At the same time, the rupee on Thursday closed at Rs 73.64 with a gain of 26 paise against the dollar.Sensex's new record, crosses 60000 mark for the first timeToday the stock market made a new record of bullishness. Today, the BSE Sensex rose by about 331.64 points to open above the record level of 60217.00 points for the first time. On the other hand, the Nifty of NSE opened with a gain of 90.50 points at the level of 17913.50 points. This rise of Nifty is also a record.  

*All India Weather Forecast for September 24, 2021**Weather systems made across the country*A cyclonic circulation lies over North Chhattisgarh and adjoining Madhya Pradesh. It will move in North East direction towards North MP.Another Cyclonic Circulation is persisting over Gujarat.The North South Trough is extending from the cyclonic circulation over Chhattisgarh to Telangana.*Weather movement across the country during the last 24 hours*During the last 24 hours, light to moderate rain occurred at isolated places over parts of Haryana, Punjab, East Rajasthan, Konkan and Goa, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and parts of Tamil Nadu. Lightly isolated over Western Himalayas, parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, remaining parts of West Bengal, parts of Assam, Chhattisgarh, parts of Madhya Pradesh, Marathwada, Madhya Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Kerala and Telangana It rained moderately.*Possible weather activity during next 24 hours*During the next 24 hours, parts of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, isolated parts of Chhattisgarh, parts of Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Marathwada, Southeast Rajasthan, North Konkan and Goa, parts of Gujarat, Light to moderate rain with isolated heavy rain is likely over parts of East Madhya Pradesh. Light to moderate rain is possible over Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, remaining parts of Rajasthan, parts of Saurashtra and Kutch, Konkan and Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana. Light rain is possible over Odisha, Coastal Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, South India Karnataka and Lakshadweep.