Mishra, R. R.S, PAVITHRA2023-10-312023-10-312022D/AE/470/2019-20https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810199984Cotton is one of the most important fibre and cash crop of India which plays a dominate role in agricultural and industrial sectors. Considering the importance of cotton in the Indian economy, the present study was conducted with an objective to analyze the importance of cotton in cropping pattern, the growth and instability of cotton in production and trade aspects, to analyze resource use efficiency of cotton and cost and returns therefrom, integration of selected cotton markets and trade competitiveness of cotton. To fulfill the objectives of the study, primary and secondary data were used. Primary data of sample size 250 was collected from the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh by using interview schedules. Secondary data related area, production, productivity, import and export of cotton pertaining to a period of 30 years beginning from 1989-90 to 2018-19 were collected from various websites, research journals, government publications, etc. The data was further divided into three sub-periods period I (1989-90 to 1998-99), period II (1999-2000 to 2008-09) and period III (2009-10 to 2018-19) for the purpose of analysis. Monthly average price cotton in different selected market was collected for Rajkot market, Sirsa market, Hinganghat market, Adilabad market and Jhabua market from AGMARKNET from 2006 to 2021.Cropping pattern, compound annual growth rate, co-efficient of variation, Cuddy-Della Valle Index (CDVI), data envelopment method, cost concepts, correlation analysis, Augmented Dicky Fuller test, Johensen‘s co-integration test, Granger-causality test, nominal protection co-efficient, export performance ration and revealed symmetric comparative advantage techniques were used. It was found that the share of cotton in gross cropped area under commercial crop got more and more skewed as one moved from national level to district level and at the lowest level (district level), it was highly skewed in favour of cotton. The area under cotton cultivation in India had an increased growth at a decreasing rate during the whole period under consideration. While, the growth rate of production and productivity of cotton had a positive and significant growth of 4.82 per cent per annum and 2.96 per cent per annum, respectively during the overall study period. The area, production and productivity of cotton were relatively stable in India during the period under study. International trade of cotton was positive and significant during the overall period. International trade was found to be highly unstable during the study period. Resource use efficiency of the sample farmers showed 34 per cent increased use of inputs to produce same level of outputs, spending 41 per cent more than the cost required for input combination and farmers can reduce 65 per cent of cost of cultivation of cotton to produce same level of output. Cost of cultivation of cotton had increased along with the farm size during the study period. Per hectare yield of cotton was 32.47 quintals, the gross income was Rs. 1,59,769.48 and net-returns from the cotton was Rs. 42,385.50. The Benefit-cost ratio obtained was 1.36. Cost of production of cotton was Rs. 3,615.43 over cost C2. Price movement in selected cotton markets were highly correlated. There was no stationarity in price series. Long run relationship between the prices showed the 4 co-integrating equation which indicated that, out of 5, 4 markets were well co-integrated. Causal relationship between the prices of selected markets showed the bi-directional influence on the prices except markets pairs. Indian cotton was non- competitive in the global market but had a comparative advantage during the study period.EnglishThesis