'Rains to boost cotton harvest'

MUMBAI: Unseasonal rains could bring some cheer to cotton farmers in the state. Chairman of the Maharashtra Cotton Growers Marketing Federation N P Hirani said that farmers were hoping to harvest cotton for the second time following the rains.
Hirani said that the federation was hoping for a 40% jump in surplus crop. This in turn, Hirani said, was likely to boost exports. . He was speaking at the 25th anniversary function of the federation at Yeshvantrao Chavan Hall in South Mumbai on Sunday. Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and union agriculture minister Sharad Pawarwere among the dignitaries who attended the event.
Speaking at the occassion, Pawar indicated that the centre was likely to relax the cap on cotton exports to boost trade. He also said that to promote and regulate use of genetically modified crops, the centre had decided to set up Bio- technology Authority of India
(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/-Rains-to-boost-cotton-harvest/articleshow/7006731.cms)