Cotton are a may shrink as famers eye alternative crops

India’s cotton area, which saw a decline of 10 per cent during the kharif 2024 season, is likely to shrink further this year as farmers are seen moving to other alternatives like maize and groundnut. Industry stakeholders are having a mixed opinion on the upcoming 2025-26 season, for which planting has already begun in north India and parts of south India, where the monsoon has made an early onset. “Cotton area will be down in Central India, which accounts for about 66 per cent of the area and crop in the country. However, in north and south India, it may increase. The overall cotton area in the country may come down by 7-8 per cent,” Atul S Ganatra, President, Cotton Association of India (CAI), told In Gujarat, farmers will likely shift from cotton to groundnut while in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, they are shifting to maize, Ganatra said. “Farmers are not interested in growing cotton due to low yields and higher expenses and cost of labour. Also, farmers have other options that can fetch them better returns,” Ganatra said. Bhagirath Chaudhary, Founder-Director of the South Asia Biotechnology Centre in Jodhpur, said the cotton season had commenced on a sluggish note, marked by delayed sowing across the north growing zone. “The late release of canal water dampened the morale of cotton farmers. Currently, only 65–70 per cent of the sowing has been completed. Crop conditions remain poor, with weak plant stands attributed to extreme heat, lack of irrigation water and recurring sandstorms,” Chaudhary said. Recently, the US Department of Agriculture projected a 2 per cent decline in India’s cotton production during the 2025-26 season, starting October at 24.5 million bales of 480 pounds each. The market remains weak amid low demand and uncertain global trends. “Despite the current market conditions, sowing for the upcoming season is expected to be strong. The early arrival of the monsoon could lead to an increase in the sown area across States. Even dry land farmers are likely to take up cotton cultivation this yea,” said Ramanuj Das Boob, a sourcing agent in Raichur and Vice-President of the All India Cotton Brokers Association.