Cotton, once 'white gold', has now become a burden for India's farmers
Cotton farmers in India are facing the worst crisis in decades. Cotton, once known as 'white gold' because of the prosperity of farmers, has now become a burden.
The yield in the fields is decreasing, prices in the mandis are falling and imports are increasing in the markets. By making the import duty zero, the government has made the situation even more difficult for the farmers.
If this trend continues, India may soon become completely dependent on cotton imports, just as it already depends on edible oils and pulses.
Currently, cotton cultivation acreage, production and productivity are all declining, forcing India to depend more on imports.
In just two years, cotton cultivation acreage has decreased by 14.8 lakh hectares, while production has declined by 42.35 lakh bales. Between October 2024 and June 2025 alone, cotton imports crossed 29 lakh bales, the highest in six years.
Each bale contains 170 kg of cotton. Experts say this is the result of weak policy and poor planning. India already spends about Rs 2 lakh crore every year on importing edible oils and pulses, and now cotton is also facing the same threat.
How much has the production declined?
The level of decline can be seen in the data. In 2017-18, India produced 370 lakh bales of cotton. In 2024-25, it has come down to only 294.25 lakh bales. Experts say this decline is due to three major reasons - price, policy and pests.
Farmers are getting less money for their crop, the government has not supported them with the right policies, and pests like pink bollworm are damaging crops. This will not only hurt farmers but also push up clothing prices for consumers as India buys more cotton from abroad.
The three villains of cotton
India is the world’s second-largest cotton producer after China, accounting for about 24% of global production.
Despite this, farmers are struggling. Prices are one reason. Cotton prices had touched Rs 12,000 per quintal in 2021. Today, they have fallen to Rs 6,500-7,000 per quintal, which in many cases is even lower than the minimum support price (MSP).
Another problem is pests. The pink bollworm has developed resistance to the Bt protein, making it difficult to control pest attacks. Farmers are forced to spend more money on pesticides, increasing their costs.
Also, the government's decision to remove 11% import duty on cotton between August 19 and September 30 has opened the door to cheap imports, which will further reduce the income of Indian farmers.
Experts say the situation is worrying. Bhagirath Chaudhary, founder director of the South Asia Centre for Biotechnology, said cotton production in India is being affected due to weak policies, lack of pest resistance and new technology. Poor seeds have also reduced productivity.
He said that in 2017-18, cotton yield in India was 500 kg per hectare. By 2023-24, it has come down to just 441 kg per hectare.
This is much less than the global average of 769 kg. The US produces 921 kg per hectare and China 1,950 kg per hectare of cotton. Even Pakistan is performing better than India with a production of 570 kg per hectare.
The government promotes the idea of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, but such policies are discouraging farmers and reducing production. If this continues, Indian farmers will suffer and consumers will eventually have to pay more for clothes and other cotton products.
