Market Arrival and Price Behaviour of Cotton in Haryana

The present study aimed to study the price and arrival of cotton i.e. growth, seasonal variation and volatility among the selected cotton markets in Haryana. The monthly data on prices and arrivals of cotton were collected for the period from 2005-06 to 2016-17. Compound growth rate, Moving average method and Coefficient of Variation measure were used in the study. The results showed a considerable increase in cotton prices for the selected markets, whereas arrivals growth were found to be positive but non-significant in all the markets except Uklana and Fatehabad markets having negative growth due to shift in cropping pattern. Seasonal analysis results showed that the cotton arrivals in the selected markets were higher in the months of October to January (Peak period) and lower in the months of February to May (Lean period). The intra year prices in selected cotton markets during the study period remained almost stable with less than 10 per cent of variation, whereas for the overall period the Coefficient of Variation ranged from 28.50 to 30.88 per cent in the selected cotton markets indicating presence of not much higher volatility during the study period. The increased volatility can be addressed through stock management and by employing risk management strategies like crop insurance, future markets etc.