Cotton acreage in North India has shrunk by about 22 per cent this kharif season as a section of farmers are seen preferring to plant paddy on assured procurement and better returns.

Cotton has been planted on about 9 lakh hectares (lh) this year in the North Zone in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan as against 11.56 lh a year ago.

As per Agriculture Ministry data, total cotton acreage across the country was 9.53 lh as of June 12, down 28 per cent from 13.19 lh a year ago, with planting going on in parts of Karnataka, Gujarat and Rajasthan among others.

Cotton sowing in North India takes place normally from mid-April to late May and has almost been completef for this year.

May rise in Rajasthan

This kharif the cotton area has dropped to less than one lh in Punjab to 0.80 lh against last year’s 1.19 lh as of June 11. Similarly, the area has reduced in Haryana to 2.92 lh compared with 3.94 lh a year ago. In Rajasthan, the area is down to 5.28 lh this year from 6.43 lh a year ago.

Atul Ganatra, Chairman – Crop Committee of Cotton Association of India (CAI), the apex trade body for the fibre crop, said though area has reduced in Punjab and Haryana, the sowing is going on in lower Rajasthan and upper Rajasthan. With parts of Rajasthan receiving rains, the cotton area will be maintained or may see an increase of 3-4 per cent, Ganatra said.

Cotton was planted on about 114.82 lakh hectares during 2025-26, according to the Agriculture Ministry data. For the 2026-27 marketing season, the Centre has increased minimum support price by ₹557 per quintal to ₹8,267 for medium staple and ₹8,667 for long staple.

High risk crop

“Farmers across North cotton zone are increasingly shifting to paddy because it offers greater income security through assured procurement and better returns, particularly after last year’s favourable rice harvest. In contrast, cotton is now perceived as a high-risk crop due to severe pink bollworm infestation, weather-related uncertainties and prolonged market prices below the MSP, leaving farmers with little confidence in its profitability,” said Bhagirath Chaudhary, Founder Director, South Asia Biotechnology Centre in Jodhpur.

“Additionally, delayed paddy transplantation has provided an additional advantage by creating a window for short-duration Zaid (summer) crops such as maize and moong, enabling farmers to enhance cropping intensity and generate supplementary income before rice planting. Cotton, on the other hand, faces prolonged heat stress during April and May, with many late-sown fields experiencing wilting, rot root and poor crop establishment. Together, these agronomic and economic factors have significantly strengthened the comparative advantage of paddy over cotton in the planting decisions of farmers across Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan,” Chaudhary said.

Down over the years

Dilip Monga, former head of Central Institute of Cotton Research’s regional research station in Sirsa, said the area in North Zone has been on a continuous decline over the past few years.

Besides the problem of pink bollworm, cotton growers have faced issues with erratic weather such as excess rain during August-September last year which impacted the productivity and high temperatures during planting season, he said.

Besides, farmers fetch better returns from other crops such as paddy, which is prompting them to move away from cotton in the region, he said.

Published on June 17, 2026