Cotton Cultivation in India | 09 Sep 2025

Source: HT

Why in News?

Apart from extending the 11% import duty waiver on cotton, the Union government has raised the MSP for cotton for the 2025–26 season and expanded procurement efforts to support farmers facing price pressures and stabilize the textile industry.

• The move addresses both the challenges of rising imports and the need to safeguard farmer welfare amid a 15-year low in domestic cotton production.

What is the State of Cotton Cultivation in India?

• About: Cotton, popularly called “White Gold”, is India’s most important commercial crop, contributing about one-fourth of global output. 
  • Nearly two-thirds (67%) of the area is rain-fed, making cultivation highly dependent on monsoons, while only a third (33%) is irrigated.
  • Cotton cultivation in India dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization, with textiles famed worldwide for their quality and craftsmanship, but under colonial rule India was reduced to a raw cotton supplier for British mills.
• Growing Conditions: It is a subtropical crop that requires a warm, sunny, frost-free climate with adequate humidity.
  • It grows well in deep alluvial soils (north India), black clayey soils (central India), and red-black mixed soils (southern India).
  • While it can withstand some salinity, the crop is extremely vulnerable to waterlogging, making proper drainage crucial. 
  • Cotton is primarily a Kharif crop, with its sowing season starting in early April-May in northern India and during the monsoon season in the southern zone.
• Hybrid and Bt Cotton: Hybrid Cotton is produced by crossing two parent varieties with different traits, often occurring naturally through cross-pollination.
  • Bt Cotton is a genetically modified variety that resists common pests, especially bollworms.
• India’s Scenario: India is the second-largest producer and consumer of cotton in the world, after China
  • Cotton contributes 24% of global output; India has the largest acreage but ranks 36th in productivity.
• Significance: Cotton contributes significantly to foreign exchange, with exports of 30 lakh bales (6% of global share) in 2022–23, sustains 6 million farmers and 40–50 million workers in processing and trade. 
  • The cotton textiles industry is the second-largest employer in India, after agriculture.

What are the Key Challenges to the Cotton Sector in India?

• Weather Variability & Climate Risks: Cotton is highly climate-sensitive, with yields impacted by erratic rainfall, droughts, floods, declining soil fertility, and limited irrigation. 
  • Rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns add long-term risks to sustainable cotton production.
• Low Yield & Outdated Practices: Many farmers still rely on traditional methods, leading to low productivity (480 kg/ha in India vs world avg. 800 kg/ha) and inferior fibre quality. 
  • Lack of access to modern techniques, certified seeds, and weed management further widens the gap, especially for small and new farmers in rural areas.
• Pest & Disease Infestations: The Pink Bollworm (PBW) and other pests, along with fungal infections, are reducing cotton output. 
  • India's cotton production has dropped to a 15-year low of 25 million bales due to these issues and declining GM cotton effectiveness.
• High Cost of Cultivation: Rising input costs for seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and cheaper imports make cotton farming economically unsustainable, particularly for small and marginal farmers.
• Market-Related Challenges: Farmers face restricted market access and are often forced to sell at below-MSP rates, while global market fluctuations, such as tariffs and duties, affect their profitability and export competitiveness.

What Measures Can be Taken to Boost the Cotton Industry in India?

• Integrated Pest & Crop Management: Adopt Integrated Pest Management (IPM) using natural controls, trap crops, and beneficial insects while expediting approval of pest-resistant GM hybrids (whitefly- and pink bollworm-resistant varieties) to reduce pesticide dependency.
• Bridging the Yield Gap: Boost productivity through NFSM-led large-scale demonstrations, adoption of High-Density Planting Systems (HDPS), and the 5-year Mission for Cotton Productivity (focused on extra-long staple varieties), aiming at improved yield, sustainability, and reduced import dependence.
• Modernisation & Infrastructure: Utilise Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) and MITRA to modernise ginning, spinning, and weaving units, while encouraging investment in cotton-linked clusters for global competitiveness.
• Extension & Farmer-Centric Services: Enhance agricultural extension via Krishi Vigyan Kendras and CCI, and scale digital platforms like the Cott-Ally App to deliver real-time updates on MSP, weather, pest alerts, and procurement logistics.
• Branding & Global Competitiveness: Expand “Kasturi Cotton” branding with QR-code traceability to assure quality, build a distinct identity for Indian cotton, attract premium prices, and enhance trust among global buyers.

Conclusion

Cotton remains central to India’s agriculture–industry–trade nexus, but persistent low yields, pest threats, climate risks, and global trade pressures undermine its potential. Strengthening MSP operations, sustainable farming practices, modern infrastructure, and branding initiatives will be crucial to ensure farmer welfare, export competitiveness, and textile sector growth.