The Agriculture Department is taking precautions to ensure that farmers sow cotton only after June 1, as sowing of cotton before June leads to pink bollworm infestation. In this backdrop, the Agriculture Department has clarified that cotton seeds for this year's (2025-26) season will be sold to farmers after May 15.
Cotton is cultivated in about four million hectares of area in the state. This number decreases every year. The area under cotton cultivation is increasing, mainly in Marathwada and Vidarbha, but now also in Western Maharashtra. In the year 2017, there was a massive outbreak of pink bollworm in the state.
This caused damage to cotton. Farmers suffered huge financial losses. After this, the government took steps to reduce the outbreak of pink bollworm between 2018 and 2024. Under this, it was ensured that cotton is not sown before June 1.
It appears that the outbreak will reduce significantly in the 2024-25 season. According to cotton scientists, failure to break the life cycle of the pink bollworm can increase the risk of infection. Therefore, this year too the agriculture department is taking care to ensure that pre-season cotton is not sown, which is one of the many measures to control the pink bollworm.
Therefore, it has been announced that the seeds will be sold only after May 15, and the agriculture officers and staff of that area should take strict care to ensure that planting is done only after June 1, the director of quality control inputs has said. Action will be taken if the seeds are sold within the stipulated time.
This is the plan.
- 1st May to 10th May: From manufacturing company to distributor - 10th May onwards: From distributors to retailers - 15th May onwards: From retailers to farmers - Actual planting: After 1st June
Farmers will get cotton seeds in the market after 15th May for this season. Farmers should sow cotton after 1st June instead of pre-season sowing to prevent the spread of pink bollworm. The pink bollworm infestation has reduced since pre-season sowing of cotton has been stopped.
