印度棉花种植面积或将下降35%

Area under cotton may drop by 35%
Even as good quality long staple cotton is expected to command impressive prices of up to Rs 6,200 per quintal in January 2017, the area under cotton cultivation in India could drop by one third in the wake of good monsoon this year, according to an analysis by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.
Quoting trade sources, the analysis predicted that the area of cotton in India may decline up to 35 % as the farmers have shifted to crops like groundnut, pulses, paddy and sugarcane.
The white fly attack in major cotton growing regions during last season and the above normal rainfall during monsoon as per the weather forecast had led the farmers to go in for other crops, it said.
The University also forecast the prices cotton is likely to command in December-January 2017 under its Price Forecasting Scheme.
It advised state farmers to make their sowing decisions accordingly.
During 2014-15, 0.53 million bales (170 kg a bale) of cotton was produced in Tamil Nadu, while the area under cotton production was 0.1 million ha. Major cotton producing districts in the state were Perambalur, Salem, Trichy, Dharmapuri, Ariyalur and Cuddalore. (SH)
译文如下：
印度棉花种植面积或将下降35%
据泰米尔纳德邦农业大学的分析报告称，尽管今年印度优质长绒棉价格高达6200卢比每公担，但由于季风天气的到来，印度棉花种植面积或将下降三分之一。
该分析报告援引相关贸易资源称，由于农民转移种植农作物，如花生、豆类、水稻和甘蔗，印度棉花种植面积可能下降35%。
该报告称，上一赛季主要棉花种植区受白色飞虫的攻击，且季风天气降雨高于正常平均值，使得农民转移种植其他农作物。
泰米尔纳德邦农业大学还预测，截至2017年1月，政府可能对棉花价格进行管制。
它建议国家对农民实行相应的播种决策。
2014-15年度，泰米尔纳德邦棉花产量为53万包，每包重170公斤，棉花种植面积为10万公顷。该国主要的棉花生产区位于Perambalur, Salem, Trichy, Dharmapuri, Ariyalur和Cuddalore。