Area under cotton cultivation up by 15% in Punjab, but long-term decline continues
2025-05-28 16:53:32
Cotton Cultivation Grows in Punjab, Decline Persists
Cotton cultivation in Punjab has registered a 15 per cent increase this year compared to 2024, offering a ray of hope for the state’s struggling cotton belt.
However, the overall trend remains downward when viewed against the last five years, with the area under cotton cultivation continuing to shrink from its historical highs.
The figure is likely to improve further as the data of the area under cotton sowing is to be collected till May 31.
According to official data, the cotton-growing districts of Fazilka, Bathinda, Mansa, and Muktsar have so far covered 1.13 lakh hectares out of the targeted 1.29 lakh hectares, falling short of the target by 14.6 per cent.
“The improvement is visible, though minor. Cotton sowing is almost complete, and final data will be available in early June,” said Jagdish Singh, Chief Agriculture Officer, Bathinda. “Based on the sale of seeds, we are expecting a further increase in the area under cotton by the end of May.”
Rajinder Kumar, Chief Agriculture Officer, Fazilka, attributed the partial increase to better awareness and slight recovery of farmer confidence, though a double breach in the Punjawa Minor Canal affected irrigation and sowing timelines in parts of the district.
Still far from past glory Despite this year’s gain, the long-term decline in cotton acreage is stark.
In 2019, cotton was sown on 3.35 lakh hectares.
The numbers dropped to 2.5–2.52 lakh ha during 2020–2021, to 2.48 lakh ha in 2022, to 1.79 lakh ha in 2023, and further to 98,490 ha in 2024.
The latest target of 1.29 lakh ha represents a deliberate scaling down in response to farmer disinterest, pest threats, and market uncertainties.
Punjab boasted 8 lakh hectares under cotton cultivation during the 1980s.
Experts trace the steady decline to the Green Revolution, which encouraged paddy cultivation in areas with canal water access, leaving only the saline-water-prone Malwa belt suitable for cotton.
“Cotton was once white gold, but issues like whitefly and pink bollworm attacks, spurious seeds, and low MSP procurement by the Cotton Corporation of India have disillusioned farmers,” said Sukhjinder Singh Rajan, a Fazilka farmer.
In 2015, a whitefly outbreak devastated 3.25 lakh hectares of cotton. A compensation of Rs 8,000 per acre was announced by the then SAD-BJP government.. A pink bollworm infestation in 2021 led to another round of farmer losses and a Rs 17,000 per acre relief package was announced by the then Congress government.
