Likely Significant Increase in Cotton Sowing Area

09-Jun-2026 10:56 AM

New Delhi. A significant increase in the cotton cultivation area is expected at the national level during the current Kharif season. Meanwhile, the Southwest Monsoon has advanced beyond Kerala, become active in the coastal regions of Karnataka, and is now moving towards parts of Maharashtra, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. Farmers in Gujarat are showing tremendous enthusiasm for cotton cultivation this year; the sowing area there surged to 93,499 hectares by June 8, 2026—far exceeding the 34,011 hectares recorded on the same date last year. The acreage is expected to cross the one-lakh-hectare mark soon.

The Chairman of the Crop Committee of the Cotton Association of India—a leading trade body—states that farmers are encouraged by the government's substantial hike in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for cotton this year.

Cotton sowing area in the central region (Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh) is projected to rise by 15 percent, while the acreage in the southern peninsula (Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu) could increase by 10–20 percent.

On the other hand, although there are signs of a decline in cotton acreage in Punjab and Haryana, a significant increase is likely in Rajasthan; consequently, the total cotton cultivation area in the northern region is also expected to grow by 7 to 10 percent.

According to the Chairman, it would not be surprising if the total national cotton cultivation area exceeds 130 lakh hectares during the current 2026-27 Kharif season. Last year, the acreage stood at 114.82 lakh hectares.