The country is likely to see around 70,000 bales of cotton production in the current season, as the Cotton Development Board (CDB) has planned to bring more land under hybrid cotton cultivation, said CDB Executive Director Dewan Md Intajul Islam.

He said the use of hybrid seeds would be raised by three times next year and more plain areas of Habiganj and the three hill districts would be brought under its cultivation. He also hoped that they would be able to raise the cotton production to one hundred thousand bales in the next five years by encouraging the farmers for using hybrid seeds. In the 2009-10 seasons, some 31,500 hectares of land were brought under cotton cultivation with a production target of 60,000 bales.

Of the total land, 289 hectares were brought under cultivation of two hybrid varieties-HSC-4 and DM-1. Around 3 tonnes to 3.5 tonnes of cotton are expected to be produced in each hectare (1 hectare=2.47 acres) compared to two tons from traditional CB-9.

In the 2008-09 season, some 32,600 hectares of land were brought under the cultivation from where 50,175 bales of cotton were harvested. In the current season, the farmers have grown hybrid cotton after two local businesses houses-Supreme Seed Company and Lal Teer Seed-began marketing the Chinese variety of hybrid seeds. The quality and market price of hybrid cotton is also higher-Tk 200 to Tk 300 than the traditional one. The hybrid cotton is now selling at Tk 1800 per maund,

But, considering the demand of the country's textile industries, the local producers can meet 3% to 5% of the demand, as the textile sector needs to import around 35 lakh bales of cotton a year, which is around 95% to 97% of the total demand.