After decline, cotton acreage in Punjab witnesses marginal uptick

Punjab has achieved 78% of its cotton sowing target for the 2025-26 season, with a total of 1.06 lakh hectares of land sown with the cash crop.

- Vishal Joshi

BATHINDA:

While this is a slight improvement over the 96,000 hectares sown last year, agriculture experts are expressing concerns over the slow pace of diversification in the state's cropping patterns.

The state's cotton sowing target for the season was set at 1.29 lakh hectares. Despite the progress, experts argue that a marginal increase in acreage is not sufficient to address the pressing issue of agricultural diversification, especially for the Kharif crop season. The limited expansion in cotton acreage poses a challenge for Punjab's agricultural future, particularly in conserving groundwater.

Punjab has long been known for its cotton cultivation in semi-arid districts such as Fazilka, Bathinda, Mansa and Muktsar. These regions contribute to 98% of the state's total cotton production. However, agriculture experts fear the relatively small increase in cotton sowing could push farmers to focus more on water-intensive crops like rice, especially in areas with low water availability.