News Capsule: Haryana Cotton Acreage Falls to 7-Year Low as Farmers Shift to Other Crops
08-Jun-2026 12:34 PM
News Capsule: Haryana Cotton Acreage Falls to 7-Year Low as Farmers Shift to Other Crops
★ Cotton acreage in Haryana has declined to 2.82 lakh hectares in the 2026 kharif season, the lowest level in the past seven years. The area under cotton has fallen by more than 50% in the last three years and nearly 70% over the past seven years.
★ Farmers are increasingly shifting from cotton to paddy, bajra and other crops due to repeated losses caused by pink bollworm infestations, heavy rainfall, waterlogging and poor profitability. Despite government incentives and special promotion programmes, the decline has continued.
★ According to agricultural experts, the average cost of cotton cultivation is ₹40,024 per acre, while average income from cotton sales is only ₹24,081 per acre, resulting in an average loss of about ₹15,142 per acre. Continuous losses have significantly reduced the attractiveness of cotton cultivation in Haryana.