Cotton Sowing Picks Up Pace as Monsoon Intensifies; Acreage Crosses 100 Lakh Hectares
Cotton sowing has accelerated across the country's major cotton-producing states following the intensification of the monsoon. So far this season, the cotton acreage has surpassed 100 lakh hectares. Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh have recorded an increase in the area under cultivation compared to last year. Experts believe that if the rainfall continues, the total acreage could even exceed last year's levels.
According to Atul Ganatra, Chairman of the Crop Committee of the Cotton Association of India (CAI), cotton sowing has gained significant momentum despite a 20–30 day delay in the monsoon's arrival. Recent good rainfall has provided farmers in low-rainfall regions with the opportunity to sow the crop. He noted that the sowing window has been extended to August 25 this year, and it is possible to achieve the government's target of 120 lakh hectares by August 20. Currently, cotton is being sown across approximately 50,000 hectares daily.
In terms of individual states, cotton acreage has increased by 31 percent in Andhra Pradesh and 4 percent in Telangana. The area under cultivation in Madhya Pradesh has reached 5.79 lakh hectares. In Gujarat, cotton acreage is expected to rise by 7 to 10 percent this year, driven by recent rains and a subsidy of ₹14,000 per acre announced by the state government. However, cotton acreage in Maharashtra has remained slightly lower compared to the previous year.
According to the CAI, the condition of the cotton crop across the country is currently satisfactory. Arrivals of the early-sown crop from North India and parts of South India are expected to begin in the first week of September. Crops in several regions, including Raichur in Karnataka and Adoni in Andhra Pradesh, have benefited from the recent rainfall. Meanwhile, in the Khandesh region of Maharashtra, crops in irrigated areas are in good condition; however, the cotton acreage there could decline by 5 to 10 percent as some farmers shift towards maize.
