Cotton, once a cornerstone of the kharif economy across north India, continues losing ground throughout the region’s three principal cotton-growing states — Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.
Combined, the three states held around 11.83 lakh hectares under cotton last year. This year, the area has slipped to around 9.09 lakh hectares, a fall of 2.74 lakh hectares, or 23.2%, equivalent to roughly 6.77 lakh acres.
The decline proves sharpest in Punjab, where cotton acreage has dropped from around 1.28 lakh hectares last year to an all-time low of about 80,000 hectares this year, a fall of nearly 48,000 hectares, or 37.5 %, within a single season.
The traditional cotton belt, encompassing Bathinda, Mansa, Muktsar Sahib, Fazilka, Faridkot, Ferozepur and portions of Sangrur and Barnala has steadily pivoted towards paddy and other crops.
The longer-term decline proves even more pronounced. Punjab held around 7 lakh hectares under cotton during the late 1980s, whilst the crop continued occupying more than 4-5 lakh hectares across several years until 2014-15, reaching around 6.69 lakh hectares at its peak during this stretch.
The decline gathered pace following the 2015 whitefly outbreak, followed by repeated pink bollworm infestations from 2021 onwards, dragging acreage down to barely 80,000 hectares presently.
Haryana has likewise witnessed a marked fall. Whilst cotton acreage had once exceeded 6 lakh hectares, actual coverage stood at around 3.80 lakh hectares last year and has slipped further to around 2.95 lakh hectares this year.
The contraction has proven particularly visible across the traditional cotton-growing districts of Hisar, Charkhi Dadri and Bhiwani, with Haryana shedding roughly 85,000 hectares within a year.
Rajasthan, which holds the largest cotton area amongst the three states, has seen its acreage decline from approximately 6.55 lakh hectares last year to 5.34 lakh hectares this year — a reduction of 1.21 lakh hectares, or 18.5%.
Across upper Rajasthan, encompassing Sri Ganganagar and Hanumangarh, the area has fallen from around 4.14 lakh hectares to 3.44 lakh hectares. Within the Bhilwara belt, it has declined from around 2.41 lakh hectares to 1.90 lakh hectares.
Officials across Haryana and Rajasthan attribute a substantial portion of this year’s decline to rain and monsoon conditions.
Whilst Rajasthan still commands the largest share of north India’s cotton area, Punjab has logged the steepest percentage decline amongst the three states, underscoring the continuing erosion of its traditional cotton belt.
Between 2020 and 2025, Haryana’s cropping pattern has undergone a marked transformation. The area under rice cultivation expanded from 15.26 lakh hectares in 2020 to 18.68 lakh hectares in 2025, whilst cotton acreage shrank from 7.20 lakh hectares to just 4.01 lakh hectares.
Bt-cotton, once resistant to pests such as the pink bollworm, has lost its effectiveness as pests have adapted over time.
Farmers now spend heavily on pesticides yet still face yields as low as two quintals per acre, far below the eight quintals required for profitability. This leaves them nursing losses of nearly Rs 15,000 per acre.
In Punjab, the decline in cotton mirrors a combination of pest attacks, falling yields, rising costs, market uncertainty and the relative security offered by paddy.
Bhagwan Bansal, president of the Punjab Ginners’ Association, said repeated whitefly and pink bollworm attacks had eroded farmers’ confidence.
According to Bansal, yields that once ranged between 8 and 12 quintals per acre have fallen to around 5-7 quintals in many instances.
Even at prices of Rs 7,000-8,000 per quintal, returns may only reach around Rs 35,000-40,000 to 50,000-55,000 per acre, and after meeting cultivation expenses, the margin proves very slim,” he said.
Bansal said farmers would return to cotton only once the risks were addressed through better seed, effective pest control, higher yields, remunerative prices and a dependable market.
The government has taken several measures to boost cotton production. From permitting Bt Cotton production to providing Minimum Support Price (MSP), the government has been extending support towards cotton producers.
“It has launched the Kapas Kisan App to facilitate seamless procurement of cotton from farmers under the Minimum Support Price scheme,” the Indian Express reported.
In April 2026, the Union Cabinet sanctioned the Mission for Cotton Productivity with an outlay of Rs 5,659 crore, running from 2026-27 through to 2030-31. The intent is to lift lint productivity from 441 kg per hectare to 755 kg per hectare by 2031.
Image courtesy: Britanicca
