Cotton cultivation area may decrease, now farmers are turning towards these crops, know everything
USDA India Post has released a report. In this, a forecast has been made about Indian crops. According to this, India's cotton acreage for the market year (MY) 2025-26 may be 11.4 million hectares, which is three percent less than last year. Cotton acreage for MY 2024-25 was 11.8 million hectares. The report claims that the main reason for the reduction in cotton acreage is the farmers turning to other crops. A large number of farmers cultivating cotton are now turning to more profitable crops like pulses and oilseeds.
Acreage decreased, but good yield
Even though the cotton acreage has decreased, due to higher yield, production is expected to remain at 25 million bales of 480 pounds, which is the same as the current year. Based on the expectation of a normal monsoon season, the USDA Post has projected an average yield of 477 kg per hectare for fiscal year 2025/26, which is three per cent higher than the official estimate of 461 kg per hectare for fiscal year 2024/25, due to production in areas with adequate irrigation facilities and water availability.
The USDA Post said that the area planted in Punjab is projected to remain stable, while it will decrease by five per cent in Haryana due to a shift to paddy cultivation. Yields are expected to fall slightly in both states, as farmers are diverting water to other crops. The area planted in Rajasthan is expected to be two per cent lower than the previous year, as farmers are shifting to crops such as guar, maize and pulses (moong) due to anticipated higher prices. However, better pest management practices are likely to lead to higher yields.
What do the data from other states say?
In Gujarat, the largest producer state, acreage is expected to decline by three per cent compared to last year, as farmers are shifting towards pulses, groundnut, cumin and sesame. Though current domestic farmgate prices for cotton have seen less decline than other commodities, its production cost is significantly higher, he said. Besides a short period of rise, strong government support and export demand have made pulses and groundnut the preferred crops this season in Gujarat.
In Maharashtra, acreage sown is expected to remain the same as last year as farmers dissatisfied with low soybean prices in the current season may consider cultivating tur (tur) and maize due to better profitability. Madhya Pradesh is estimated to decline by five per cent, as farmers are shifting towards oilseeds and pulses.
In the south, strong government incentive schemes for ethanol production may cause farmers to switch acreage from cotton to maize and rice cultivation in the southern states of Telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, resulting in an estimated reduction of seven per cent compared to last year.
Also know
The USDA Post estimates that mill consumption in fiscal year 2025/26 will be 25.7 million bales of 480 pounds, up by about 0.8 per cent from last year, as demand for yarn and textiles remains stable in key international markets.
Exports for fiscal year 2025/26 are estimated at 1.5 million (480-pound) bales, up seven per cent from last year, as stocks are very high. The continued devaluation of the rupee may provide opportunities for increased exports of cotton and cotton products. Cotton imports for fiscal year 2025/26 are estimated at 2.5 million bales, down four per cent from last year. Indian mills will continue to rely on imports to meet the inadequate domestic supply of machine-picked contamination-free fibre. Further, USDA post estimates that consumption of Extra Long Staple (ELS) cotton will increase in FY 2025/26 due to improved demand in the international market.
Mills are dependent on imported supplies mainly from the US to meet consumption needs. The United States, Egypt and Israel are the major suppliers of the ELS variety, and imports from the United States maintain an average market share of 50 per cent of total imports.
More than 47 per cent of US exports to India by value is ELS cotton, and 90 per cent of imported US fibre is re-exported as contamination-free yarn and fabric. In India, ELS cotton is grown in about 2 lakh hectares in central and southern India, mainly under DCH-32 and MCU-5 hybrids. Increasing production remains challenging due to low yields, high production costs and increased susceptibility to sucking pests and bollworms.
