Cotton cultivation in both Punjab and Haryana has witnessed a drastic decline and thereby have reached record lows.
Cotton acreage in Haryana has dipped to a record low of 2.82 lakh hectares during the current kharif season, the lowest in the past seven years.
On the other hand, Punjab’s cotton acreage too hit record lows. Against a target of 1.25 lakh hectares for the 2026-27 kharif season, only 70,000 hectares have been brought under cotton cultivation so far or only 56% of target cultivation.
“According to data from the Haryana Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, cotton acreage has declined by more than 50% in the past three years and nearly 70% over the past seven years,” The Tribune reported.
The decline reflects a growing shift by farmers in both states, towards paddy and other crops such as bajra after years of financial losses caused by pest attacks, erratic weather and waterlogging.
The trend has alarmed agricultural scientists and economists, who regard cotton not only as an important cash crop but also as an ecologically beneficial alternative to water-intensive paddy cultivation.
Farmers, however, say they have little choice. Repeated crop failures due to pest infestations, excessive rainfall and waterlogging have made cotton cultivation increasingly unviable.
A study conducted by Dr Vinay Mahla, an agricultural scientist at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (HAU), highlighted the economic distress facing cotton growers.
The report estimated the average cost of cotton cultivation at Rs 40,024 per acre, while returns from produce sales stood at only Rs 24,081 per acre and income from byproducts added another Rs 801 per acre, leaving farmers with an average loss of Rs 15,142 per acre.
The Punjab government’s efforts to promote crop diversification and reduce dependence on water-intensive paddy cultivation have suffered a setback, as cotton sowing in the state has reached its lowest-ever level.
“Agriculture officials said the final sowing figures would become clear after June 15, the deadline for farmers to register for the 33% subsidy on cotton seeds,” Hindustan Times informed.
Experts believe only a marginal increase in acreage is likely, as a large number of farmers remain reluctant to return to cotton cultivation after suffering repeated losses over the past several years.
Deputy Director (cotton) in the Punjab Agriculture Department Charanjeet Singh said the decline in cotton acreage would directly increase pressure on the state’s water resources, as many farmers are expected to shift to paddy cultivation.
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