Cotton Acreage Nears Last Year's Levels After Initial Decline

17-Aug-2026 11:23 AM

New Delhi: During the current Kharif season, cotton sowing was lagging significantly behind last year's figures until the third week of July. However, the pace of sowing accelerated following good rainfall in Gujarat—the leading producing state—bringing the all-India cotton acreage close to last year's levels. Sowing operations are still underway in some areas.

Data from the Union Ministry of Agriculture indicates that by August 14 of the current Kharif season, the area under cotton cultivation reached 107.33 lakh hectares; this is 94,000 hectares less than the 108.27 lakh hectares sown during the corresponding period last year.

Cotton acreage has declined across the three states of the northern region—Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. While the area in Maharashtra also trails slightly, it has increased in Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, as well as in Gujarat.