Cotton farmers in India are facing one of their worst crises in decades. Once called ‘white gold’ because it brought prosperity to farmers, cotton has now become a burden.
Yields are falling in the fields, prices are dropping in the mandis, and imports are rising in the markets. By reducing import duty to zero, the government has made the situation even more difficult for farmers.
If this trend continues, India may soon become fully dependent on cotton imports, just as it already depends on edible oils and pulses.
At present, cotton cultivation area, production, and productivity are all going down, forcing India to rely more on imports.
In just two years, the cotton cultivation area has fallen by 14.8 lakh hectares, while production has dropped 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 kilograms of cotton. Experts say this is the result of weak policy and poor planning. India already spends nearly Rs 2 lakh crore every year on imports of edible oils and pulses, and the same risk now hangs over cotton.
HOW MUCH HAS PRODUCTION FALLEN?
The scale of the decline can be seen in numbers. In 2017-18, India produced 370 lakh bales of cotton. In 2024-25, this has dropped to only 294.25 lakh bales. Experts say the fall is due to three major reasons – price, policy, and pests.
Farmers are receiving less money for their harvest, the government has not supported them with the right policies, and pests like the pink bollworm are damaging crops. This will not only hurt farmers but also push up the price of clothes for consumers as India buys more cotton from abroad.
THE THREE VILLAINS OF COTTON
India is the second-largest cotton producer in the world after China, with nearly 24% of global production.
Despite this, farmers are struggling. Prices are one reason. In 2021, cotton prices touched Rs 12,000 per quintal. Today, they have fallen to Rs 6,500–7,000, which in many cases is less than the minimum support price (MSP).
Another problem is pests. The pink bollworm has developed resistance to the Bt protein, making pest attacks harder to control. Farmers are forced to spend more money on pesticides, raising their costs.
At the same time, the government’s decision to scrap the 11% import duty on cotton between August 19 and September 30 has opened the doors for cheaper imports, which will further reduce the income of Indian farmers.
Experts say the situation is alarming. Bhagirath Choudhary, founding director of the South Asia Biotechnology Centre, said cotton production in India is suffering because of weak policy, pest resistance, and lack of new technology. Poor quality seeds have also reduced productivity.
He explained that in 2017-18, India’s cotton yield was 500 kilograms per hectare. By 2023-24, it had fallen to just 441 kilograms per hectare.
This is far below the global average of 769 kilograms. The United States produces 921 kilograms per hectare and China 1,950 kilograms per hectare. Even Pakistan, with 570 kilograms per hectare, is doing better than India.
Choudhary added that by reducing import duty to zero, the government has worsened the crisis. He warned that India is now moving towards dependence on cotton imports in the same way it depends on edible oils and pulses.
While the government promotes the idea of a self-reliant India, policies like these are discouraging farmers and reducing production. If this continues, Indian farmers will suffer, and consumers will eventually pay higher prices for clothes and other cotton products.
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