§ 4. Mr. HANNONasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether be can present to the House a statement showing the yield of the Indian cotton crop for the season 1927–28; if the prices 1487 compared favourably with preceding years; and if the development of experimental effort in Indian cotton production has been followed by profitable results?
§ Earl WINTERTONAs the reply contains a number of figures I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, have it circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. HANNONIs everything possible being done by the Government of India to foster scientific development of the cotton crop?
§ Earl WINTERTONIt is not really a matter for the Government of India, but for the Provincial Governments. There has been a good deal done in recent years, which has yielded good results, but the fall in the world's price of cotton in recent years has, of course, been prejudicial to the Indian grower.
§ Following is the reply:
§ The appended statement gives the latest Government estimate (April, 1928) of the cotton crop of India in 1927–28. There was a heavy fall in price during 1926–27 followed by a partial recovery in 1927–28. The latest report of the Indian Central Cotton Committee states that such improved cottons as Surat 1027 are in good and regular demand by Indian mills.
| Provinces and States. | (April, 1928) 1927–28 | (April, 1928)1926–27 |
| (1,000 tons.) | (1,000 tons.) | |
| Punjab* | 3,310 | 3,135 |
| United Provinces* | 2,762 | 2,648 |
| Central Provinces and Berar* | 697 | 803 |
| Bombay* | 586 | 450 |
| Bihar and Orissa | 427 | 477 |
| North West Frontier Province | 232 | 230 |
| Bengal | 23 | 32 |
| Delhi | 19 | 15 |
| Ajmer Merwara | 14 | 6 |
| Central India | 284 | †335 |
| Gwalior | 176 | 273 |
| Rajputana | 224 | 214 |
| Hyderabad | 81 | 64 |
| Baroda | 21 | 20 |
| Mysore | ‡ | § |
| 8,856 | †8,702 | |
| * Including Indian States. | ‡500 tons. | |
| †Revised. | §200 tons. |