North India's Cotton Area Drops by 6 Lakh Hectares, with Punjab Seeing the Deepest Dip
Farmers in North India, especially in Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, are increasingly switching from cotton to paddy due to pest attacks and water issues. Harpal Singh, a farmer from Burj Kalan in Mansa district, reduced his cotton cultivation from 5 acres to 2 acres, opting for paddy due to frequent pest problems. Similarly, Satpal Singh from the same village transitioned all 3.5 acres of his land to paddy for a more guaranteed market.
In Fazilka district, Talwinder Singh faced a pink bollworm attack on his 5 acres of cotton and has already replanted 1 acre with the PR 126 variety of paddy, which matures quickly. This trend of shifting from cotton to paddy is widespread in the Malwa region of Punjab, driven by pest infestations and unreliable water sources.
As of early July, the total area under cotton in Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan has dropped to 10.23 lakh hectares from 16 lakh hectares last year. In Punjab, the cotton area fell drastically to 97,000 hectares, a sharp decline from up to 7.58 lakh hectares in the 1980s and 1990s. Similarly, Rajasthan's cotton area reduced from 8.35 lakh hectares last year to 4.75 lakh hectares this year, and Haryana's from 5.75 lakh hectares to 4.50 lakh hectares.
Specific districts in Punjab have seen significant reductions: Fazilka's cotton area decreased to 50,341 hectares from 92,000 hectares last year, Muktsar to 9,830 hectares from 19,000 hectares, Bathinda to 13,000 hectares from 28,000 hectares, and Mansa to 22,502 hectares from 40,250 hectares.
Pest attacks by pink bollworm and whitefly, coupled with water availability issues, are major factors behind this shift. Pink bollworm damages the cotton lint and seeds, while whiteflies feed on the sap of the leaves. With better water availability, farmers prefer paddy, which has a guaranteed market and is largely free from pest attacks.
Bhagirath Choudhary, founder director of the South Asia Biotechnology Centre (SABC), attributes this shift primarily to the pink bollworm infestation. He notes that Punjab's cotton area is now below 1 lakh hectares, and farmers lack awareness and control mechanisms for the pest. The state government's inadequate efforts to educate farmers have also contributed to the decline in cotton cultivation.
Harpinder Singh of Jhurarkhera village in Abohar highlighted ongoing pest concerns and insufficient canal water for paddy. Sukhmander Singh, president of BKU Rajewal in Fazilka, criticized the poor quality of BT2 cotton seeds provided by the government. Darshan Singh of Giddranwali village and Ram Singh of Bhainibagha village have also switched to growing paddy and guar (cluster bean) respectively, citing better market prospects and water availability.
The reduction in cotton cultivation and the shift to other crops reflect the challenges faced by North Indian farmers, including pest attacks and water scarcity
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