According to the Cotton Federation of India, cotton sowing area expected to be 25% lower in northern states of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan in 2024.
Indian Cotton
- Cotton is the most important fibre crop among the cash crops of India and plays a major role in the industrial and agricultural economy of the country.
- Cotton is a Kharif crop in most parts of the country, the cotton sowing season is April-May in northern India and monsoon based in the southern region.
- India is the only country that grows all four species of cotton.
- Gossypium arboreum and Gossypium herbaceum (Asian cotton), Gossypium barbadense (Egyptian cotton) and Gossypium hirsutum (American upland cotton).
- 90% of the hybrid cotton produced in India is Gossypium hirsutum.
Favourable conditions for cotton production
- Cotton is grown under tropical and subtropical conditions.
- Rainfall: 75 to 100 cm.
- Soil: Black and sandy soil (central region), deep alluvial soil (northern region), mixed black and red soil (southern region)
- Temperature: Minimum temperature of 15°C is required for germination.
- Optimum temperature for growth is 21-27°C, temperature tolerance upto 43°C.
- Large diurnal variations (warm days with cool nights) during the crop maturing period favour good cotton flowering and fibre development.
Cotton Industry
- This crop provides basic raw material (cotton fibre) to the cotton textile industry.
- Textiles and related exports, of which cotton has about 65% share, contribute about 33% of the total foreign exchange earnings of our country, which is currently about $12 billion.
- Cotton in India provides direct livelihood to 6 million farmers and about 40-50 million people are employed in cotton trade and its processing.
Major Cotton Producing Regions in India
- In India, there are ten major cotton producing states which are divided into three distinct agro-ecological zones viz. Northern region, Central region and South region.
- Northern region includes Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.
- Central region includes Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
- South region includes Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
- Cotton is also cultivated in small areas in non-traditional states like Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Orissa and Tripura.
- About 65% of India’s cotton is produced on dry land and 35% on irrigated land.
- India has the largest area under cotton (about 113.29 lakh hectares), which is 33% of the global cotton area and has a productivity of 517 kg lint / hectare.
- It contributes 23% to global cotton production.
- Indian cotton production is expected to be at an estimated level of about 320 lakh bales (Bales: unit for a large bundle of goods) in the cotton season 2023-2024.
What are the challenges facing cotton production
Lack of government support
- Lack of subsidy and financial assistance from the government to cotton farmers or complex processes is also a big challenge.
- In 2023, farmers got an average price of only around ₹5,500 per quintal for cotton, while the MSP was ₹6,700-7,000 per quintal.
- In 2023, the state government introduced a 33% subsidy on BT cotton seeds to ensure that only approved varieties are used. But due to the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct, this subsidy was not provided to the farmers until May 2024.