India’s Cotton Production Dips Over 10 Years
New Delhi : India, the world’s largest producer of cotton, is facing a sustained slowdown in its cotton output. A review of ten years of production data, from 2015–16 to the estimated figures for 2024–25, paints a picture of fluctuation, stagnation, and more recently, decline. Despite the introduction of high-yielding seeds, significant government support, and growing demand from the textile sector, production has not sustained momentum.
The numbers don’t lie. Cotton production touched 360.65 lakh bales in 2019–20, only to slump in subsequent years. The latest forecast for 2024–25 puts output at just 306.92 lakh bales. This represents not only a year-on-year decline but also a broader structural problem that is eroding farmer interest and threatening India’s leadership in global cotton markets.
Understanding the Decadal Pattern
Over the ten-year span, production peaked in 2019–20 before losing pace. There were a few rebounds, but the overall trajectory lacks the consistency needed to fuel a robust value chain. From 300.05 lakh bales in 2015–16, cotton output has inched up to 306.92 lakh bales in 2024–25, reflecting an extremely modest growth. The Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) for this period stands at just 0.25%, a warning signal given India’s ambitious agricultural and textile export goals.
Key Years of Concern
In 2018–19, cotton output fell from 328.05 to 280.42 lakh bales, a steep drop of nearly 14.5%. That year witnessed devastating pink bollworm attacks, especially in states like Maharashtra and Telangana. A brief recovery came in 2019–20, with a record production of 360.65 lakh bales, but that proved short-lived.
The years that followed brought further strain. Production dipped again to 311.18 lakh bales in 2021–22, down from 352.48 the previous year. A combination of weather-related stress and poor price realization hurt farmer morale. The fall has continued since then, with production sliding from 336.60 in 2022–23 to a projected 306.92 in 2024–25. The cumulative effect of these down years reveals how fragile the system has become.
Structural Challenges Behind the Decline
One major issue is pest pressure. The pink bollworm, once thought to be under control due to the adoption of Bt cotton, has resurged in several cotton-growing regions. Farmers report that Bt seeds are losing efficacy, leading to increased pesticide use and higher cultivation costs. This makes cotton less attractive compared to lower-risk crops.
Water availability and climatic instability are also key concerns.
Irregular rainfall, early monsoon withdrawal, and rising temperatures have increased the unpredictability of yields. In Gujarat, the leading cotton-producing state, erratic weather has disrupted sowing cycles. In Maharashtra and Telangana, recurring droughts have further worsened the scenario.
Price volatility compounds the problem. While Minimum Support
Prices (MSP) are declared annually, they often do not match market realities. Farmers frequently sell at prices below MSP due to lack of procurement infrastructure or distress sales. This erodes income and disincentivizes continued cotton cultivation.
*Are Government Interventions Enough?*
The government has tried to respond through schemes such as the Cotton Corporation of India’s (CCI) procurement program, PMFBY crop insurance, and targeted MSP hikes. However, results have been mixed. Procurement helps in distress years, but it is often limited in scope and reach. Insurance coverage remains patchy, with delays in payouts and low farmer satisfaction.
Technology Adoption Remains Shallow
Despite the hype around agri-tech, technology adoption in cotton cultivation remains limited. Precision farming tools like drones, AI-based pest detection, and drip irrigation systems are mostly confined to pilot projects or progressive farmers. The majority still rely on traditional practices and are underserved by extension systems. This technology gap reduces resilience and adaptability to changing climatic and pest conditions.
Farmer Preferences Are Shifting
There is a clear trend of crop diversification among farmers in central and southern India. Cotton fields are being replaced with soybeans, pulses, maize, and horticulture — all seen as less input-intensive and more remunerative. In states like Madhya Pradesh, this shift is becoming structural rather than temporary. The acreage under cotton in Haryana and Punjab has also dropped, partly due to water stress and the push toward paddy or sugarcane.
What Needs to Change?
The first step is innovation in seed technology. India must fast-track the approval and deployment of next-generation biotech seeds that can handle new pest profiles and ensure higher yields with fewer chemical inputs. Equally important is the need to develop an institutional framework for price assurance beyond MSP — perhaps through contract farming arrangements or value chain integration with private players.
Time for Bold Reforms
India’s cotton production story over the last ten years is not just about numbers — it is a reflection of policy gaps, environmental stress, technological lag, and declining farmer confidence. With a negligible CAGR of 0.25% and multiple years of production dips, the sector is signaling distress that cannot be ignored.
Unless bold reforms are initiated to boost productivity, reduce risk, and restore farmer interest, India may find its global cotton leadership slipping. Rebuilding it will take more than seasonal fixes — it will require structural transformation.
read more :- Weekly Cotton Bale Sales Report – CCI
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