The sowing area under cotton is likely to decline by ten per cent to 12 per cent this year as farmers shift to other remunerative crops such as soybean and paddy to fetch better prices for their produce.
Cotton was heavily impacted by pink bollworm last year which farmers fear will spoil the crop this year as well. Secondly, prices remained subdued throughout last year, prompting farmers to look for an alternative crop. Other issues confronting farmers are a water shortage and unfavorable weather.

Farmers may shift from cotton to groundnut in Gujarat, paddy in Haryana and soybean in Maharashtra and the Telangana belt as cotton is still not remunerative compared to other options. Similarly soybean, pulses and sugarcane could surpass cotton in acreage as prices are firm and pest infestation in those crops is less.

Meanwhile, gains in cotton prices may be capped even as good quality seeds and an improved yield are not making much of an impact on crop output.

The decline in acreage may lower cotton output proportionately. India’s cotton output was estimated at 37.7 million bales in the first advanced estimate.

With monsoons forecast to be normal this year, kharif output is expected to be bumper this season.