Cotton is an important cash crop of Gujarat as well as India. At world level, India stands second in cotton production, usage and also export.
Favourable conditions: Cotton is a kharif crop. Black lava soil which can retain humidity for a longer time, soil with plenty of mineral contents, hot and humid climate, 20° C to 35° C temperature and 30-70 cm rainfall, etc. are favourable conditions for cultivating cotton. Frost damages cotton crop. The growing season for cotton is about 6-8 months. Producing regions : Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, etc. In Gujarat, cotton is grown more in Surendranagar, Rajkot, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Sabarkantha, Mehsana, Botad, Bharuch, Kheda, Surat, Panchmahal, Amreli, Bhavnagar and Patan districts.
Farmers of Gujarat have now started making use of a special variety of seeds called ‘BT-cotton seeds’. Using this seed Gujarat now stands first in India in sown area, productivity, total production and also quality of cotton. Cotton (without seed) is obtained from the cotton plant which is then used to make cloth. This cotton is known as ‘White Gold’ in India. Cotton seed oil is used as edible oil. Cotton seeds and oil-cake are used as animal food.