COMMODITY
Cotton production to moderate as farmers diversify into other crops: Ministry of Textiles
Jul-27-2026

Cotton production is provisionally estimated at 290.91 lakh bales in the 2025-26 cotton season (October to September), down from 297.24 lakh bales in 2024-25. The area under cotton remained almost unchanged at 114.82 lakh hectares in 2025-26, compared with 114.84 lakh hectares in the previous season. In comparison, cotton production stood at 352.48 lakh bales in 2020-21, with the crop cultivated over 132.85 lakh hectares.

The Ministry of Textiles said the decline in production is primarily attributable to changes in cotton acreage, as some farmers have diversified to other remunerative crops. However, cotton productivity has remained broadly stable, ranging between 428 kg/hectare and 451 kg/hectare during the period from 2020-21 to 2025-26.

To augment domestic availability, imports of raw cotton and cotton yarn are undertaken whenever required. Imports of cotton yarn increased to 9,074.13 tonnes in 2025-26, up 19.96% from 7,564.61 tonnes in 2024-25. Similarly, imports of raw cotton rose to 1,013,455.16 tonnes in 2025-26, an increase of 80.26% compared with 562,224.70 tonnes in the previous year.

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