By harnessing the power of technology and digitisation, India can surmount the challenges plaguing its cotton industry. The country can ascend to the summit as the world’s biggest and best cotton producer, Burjis Godrej writes…
Being the second-largest producer of cotton in the world today, India has bold ambitions to establish itself as the world’s top cotton producer. Despite being the country with the largest area under cotton cultivation, we continue to face multiple issues.
Unfavorable weather conditions due to El Nino last year coupled with infestation of pink bollworm in North India last year, resulted in a 20 per cent drop in cotton yields. Thus, cotton production is projected to hit a 15-year low in the 2023-24 sowing season, according to estimates from the Cotton Association of India (CAI). Presently, India’s cotton yield per hectare stands at a mere 396 kg lint per hectare, significantly lower than the world average of approximately 675 kg lint per hectare.
This glaring disparity underscores the formidable obstacles hindering India’s cotton industry and its millions of cotton farmers. Hence for a country which intends to leap to the top of the global cotton stakes, there is an urgent need to arrest a worrying decline in yields. A key solution to reverse this downward trend could be embracing technology and digitisation.
Technology, on-ground and in-air
In the realm of agriculture, digitisation represents the next frontier, promising transformative effects on India’s farmlands, including those dedicated to cotton cultivation. Leveraging technologies such as drones, satellite imaging, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and sensor-based Internet of Things (IoT) can unlock substantial improvements in cotton yields.
For instance, let us take an example of a cotton farmer from Punjab who is an early adopter of drone technology. One day, while surveying the field using a drone, the farmer was able to spot a pink bollworm infestation in some cotton crops. Despite some harm, the farmer reacted swiftly and was able to mitigate its impact. His fellow farmer, who had planted cotton in a neighboring field was not so lucky as he wasn’t aware of the bollworm infestation in his fields until it was too late. The pest ravaged his fields and led to him losing a majority of his crop.
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The above anecdote highlights how technology can protect yields. But it can also enable precision agriculture which boosts them. Precision agriculture, facilitated by sensor-based IoT devices coupled with AI and ML algorithms, empowers farmers with invaluable insights into crop and soil conditions.
By providing real-time data on optimal timing, quantity, and nature of interventions, such as crop protection products and nutritional supplements, technology enables farmers to maximise productivity while minimising resource utilisation. This includes what kind of crop protection product to use, how much of it to use and when to use it.
The same is true of water. Cotton is a water-intensive crop, but water is growing ever scarcer. Precision farming will help conserve dwindling water reserves while ensuring the crop gets the irrigation it needs.
Satellite technology can act as another game-changer. Satellites can be useful in monitoring, analysing and predicting weather patterns, empowering farmers with crucial information they can use to plan the sort of interventions touched upon above. Drones can similarly play a crucial role in containing any pest infestations. They can, for instance, scan a large area for signs of infestation, alerting farmers to it before it has had the chance to spread.
Technology, beyond the cotton field
Technology also has a role to play beyond the confines of the farm. It holds the potential to revolutionise agricultural practices and empower farmers economically. Blockchain-based platforms offer transparent and fair-trade mechanisms, fostering direct connections between farmers and buyers. This has the potential to usher in a new era of transparency and prosperity.
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Mobile banking can similarly usher in an era of financial inclusion. It can open up access to credit for farmers, making it easier for them to apply for micro-loans while also making it easier for them to sign up for other financial instruments like insurance policies. The latter is all the more important today to mitigate the growing risk of crop damage resulting from the increasingly fickle weather.
In essence, technology stands as a catalyst for transforming the fortunes of India’s cotton farmers. Embracing these innovations is key to India’s quest for global cotton supremacy. By harnessing the power of technology and digitisation, India can surmount the challenges plaguing its cotton industry. The country can ascend to the summit as the world’s biggest and best cotton producer.
(The views expressed in the article are author’s own. Burjis Godrej is the Executive Director & Head of Growth, Special Project & Business Development at Godrej Agrovet.)
