Drastic fall in cotton sowing area in northern India

18-Jul-2024 11:00 AM

Chandigarh. Due to heavy losses to cotton crop due to deadly insect-disease attacks, the enthusiasm and interest of farmers of northern states towards cultivation of this important industrial crop has reduced considerably this time.

As a result, cotton sowing area has fallen drastically in all three major producing states- Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab.

In Punjab, the area has fallen the most proportionately and farmers there are now giving priority to paddy cultivation instead of cotton.

Similarly, in Rajasthan too, the area under Narma cotton has fallen drastically. In Malwa division of Punjab, cotton crop is always under grave threat from insects like pink bollworm and white fly.

Due to this, the crop gets destroyed to a large extent and due to low prices of cotton, the producers have to bear financial losses.

In comparison, paddy crop is considered safe there because its government procurement is certain. 

According to the available data, during the current Kharif season, till the first week of July, the combined cotton production area in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan has shrunk to 10.23 lakh hectares, which is about 6 lakh hectares less than the sown area of ​​16 lakh hectares during the same period last year. The condition of sowing was the weakest in Punjab.

There the area has come down to just around 97 thousand hectares, whereas in the 80s and 90s its normal average area had reached 7.58 lakh hectares. 

Similarly, the cotton production area in Rajasthan has fallen from 8.35 lakh hectares last year to 4.75 lakh hectares this time and in Haryana it has come down from 5.75 lakh hectares to 4.50 lakh hectares.

Due to the fall in the cotton area, farmers can cultivate some other crops including paddy and maize in the fields that will become vacant.

On the other hand, there is a possibility of reduction in the cotton area in the country's most prominent producing state - Gujarat.