KNOTTED END TO A LONG YARN

Cotton stares at an uncertain future in its heartland as iffy economics, new crops wean farmers away

- By Jumana Shah

A THREAD THAT RUNS FROM ANCIENT TRADE to contemporary geo-economics? Yes, India's cotton story is as old as recorded history-going back to Harappan days and Gujarat was always part of that weave. Even if it's not exactly in danger of fading out like that civilisation, the fabric is running thin. Days before the Centre waived import duty on raw cotton in August, kharif sowing data from Gujarat showed a 15 per cent decline in area under cotton cultivation. It stood at 2.03 million hectares, registering the third straight year-on-year (YoY) dip.

Gujarat is India's second highest cotton producer, after Maharashtra. Together, they account for about 55 per cent of our cotton area and volumes, though Maharashtra also saw a 3 per cent dip in 2024-2025. Gujarat's cotton farmers are shifting to groundnut as part of the National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO), which targets expanding oilseed cultivation by 4 mha nationally by 2030-31.

Gujarat is a priority state here: it already contributes 24 per cent to India's primary oilseed kitty.