News Capsule: Cotton Acreage Near Last Year’s Level as Farmers Expand Planting in South
25-Aug-2026 11:46 AM
News Capsule: Cotton Acreage Near Last Year’s Level as Farmers Expand Planting in South
★ As kharif sowing nears completion, cotton acreage in India reached 108.45 lakh hectares as of August 21, almost unchanged from 108.73 lakh hectares last year. Higher acreage in southern states has largely offset declines in Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
★ Cotton acreage in Maharashtra edged down to 38.22 lakh hectares, while Rajasthan saw a nearly 6% decline to 5.38 lakh hectares. In contrast, Telangana’s acreage rose 7.28% to 19.5 lakh hectares, Karnataka’s increased 1.84% to 7.76 lakh hectares and Andhra Pradesh’s rose 2.26% to 3.85 lakh hectares. Gujarat also recorded a 3.23% increase to 21.35 lakh hectares.
★ The Cotton Association of India (CAI) said crop conditions are currently good. Continued rains have supported the crop in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana. However, rainfall over the next 10-15 days in Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh will be important for yields. A clearer estimate of cotton production is expected after assessing September rainfall.