FAZILKA, May 26 — Punjab has achieved 78% of its cotton sowing target for the 2025–26 Kharif season, with 1.06 lakh hectares already under cultivation, agriculture officials said. The state’s total sowing target stands at 1.29 lakh hectares.
While the current figure marks a marginal rise from last year’s 96,000 hectares, experts caution that the pace of diversification in Punjab’s crop patterns remains sluggish. “A small jump in cotton area won’t solve the problem of overdependence on water-intensive crops like rice,” said a senior agricultural economist. “We need meaningful shifts to ensure long-term sustainability.”
Despite recent progress, the limited expansion poses challenges for efforts to conserve groundwater and revive Punjab’s semi-arid cotton belt. The districts of Fazilka, Bathinda, Mansa, and Muktsar together contribute nearly 98% of the state’s cotton output.
“The deadline for sowing was May 15, but activity typically continues for two more weeks,” said Charanjeet Singh, deputy director (cotton), state agriculture department. “Fazilka leads with 56,000 hectares, followed by Mansa at 26,000 hectares, Bathinda at 15,500 hectares, and Muktsar at 8,500 hectares.”
Weather fluctuations in April and May—including below-average temperatures and rainfall—had initially slowed sowing, but conditions have since improved. “Farmers are now optimistic,” Singh added.
Punjab’s cotton cultivation has fluctuated sharply over the past decade. The crop area dropped from 5.16 lakh hectares in 2011–12 to less than 1.5 lakh hectares in later seasons, largely due to devastating pest attacks, particularly by whiteflies and pink bollworms.
Officials say this season will be different. “We’ve implemented a robust pest management strategy with inter-state cooperation,” Singh said. “We’re confident of hitting our target of 1.29 lakh hectares this year.”
Some farmers who had shifted to rice cultivation are also returning to cotton, citing its positive effects on soil health. In Mansa, Harpreet Pal Kaur, the district’s chief agriculture officer, noted that the government has rolled out support measures to bolster cotton farming.
“We’re offering a 33% subsidy on cotton seeds and ensuring timely canal water supply,” she said. “Our teams are actively engaging with farmers to raise awareness of these benefits. Cotton is once again being seen as a viable option.”
Singh echoed this sentiment, stating, “Contrary to the belief that growers have lost interest, the steady rise in acreage shows farmers still have faith in cotton and the government’s initiatives to promote it.”
Despite past setbacks, officials and farmers alike are hopeful that this year marks a stronger and more resilient return to cotton in Punjab’s fields.
