Lok Sabha Question No. 1640 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-10
Subject: Cotton Production Mission
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Amar Sharadrao Kale

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1640

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 TH  FEBRUARY, 2026

## COTTON PRODUCTION MISSION

1640.  SHRI AMAR SHARADRAO KALE :

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether cotton production is declining due to repeated increase in pesticide application and  adverse  climatic  conditions  and  whether  the  Ministry  proposes  to  take  the appropriate policy measures to address this issue, if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether the Government proposes to implement a Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the seed industry, including a research-based incentive scheme, if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  if  not,  the  specific  schemes  to  be  implemented  under  the  proposed five-year  Cotton Production Mission;
- (d) whether the districts in the State of Maharashtra with low cotton productivity have been selected for cotton productivity-related trials, if so, the State-wise details thereof; and
- (e) the State-wise list of districts with high cotton productivity?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण राǛ मंũी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

(a): During last five years, area under production, total production and yield of cotton is as under :

| Year     | 2020-21   | 2020-21   | 2020-21   | 2021-22   | 2021-22   | 2021-22   | 2022-23   | 2022-23   | 2022-23   | 2023-24   | 2023-24   | 2023-24   | 2024-25   | 2024-25   | 2024-25   |
|----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| State    | Area      | Prod      | Yield     | Area      | Prod      | Yield     | Area      | Prod      | Yield     | Area      | Prod      | Yield     | Area      | Prod      | Yield     |
| GR TOTAL | 132.85    | 352.48    | 451       | 123.71    | 311.17    | 428       | 129.27    | 336.60    | 443       | 126.88    | 325.22    | 436       | 114.84    | 297.24    | 440       |

No  specific  information  is  available  regarding  decline  in  cotton  production  due  to repeated  increase  in pesticide application  however,  as per the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), some of the reasons for decline in cotton production are: - i.  Pesticide  induced  breakdown  of  resistance  to  pink  bollworm  (PBW)  and  widespread resurgence of PBW in major cotton-growing states.

ii.  Whitefly outbreak and incidence of cotton leaf curl virus in the Northern zone (Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan) and boll-rot and Tobacco Streak Virus (TSV) in the Central and Southern zone.

Some policies have been introduced to minimize crop losses such as -Refuge-in-bag (RIB) to lower down Bt resistance in pink bollworm, Cultivation of short to medium duration Bt hybrids, mandatory evaluation of new Bt hybrids under All India Coordinated Research Program.

In  order  to  enhance  the  production  and  productivity  of  cotton,  the  Department  of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare is implementing Cotton Development Programme under the National  Food  Security  and  Nutrition  Mission  (NFSNM)  (erstwhile  NFSM)  in  15  major cotton growing States, including Maharashtra, since 2014-15.

A Special Project on Cotton titled 'Targeting technologies to agro-ecological zoneslarge  scale  demonstration  of  best  practices  to  enhance  cotton  productivity'  of  ICARCentral Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), Nagpur has been implemented in Maharashtra and in eight other major cotton growing States including Maharashtra under NFSNM during 2023-24 and 2024-25 to enhance the productivity of cotton.

Further, ICAR is also implementing a project titled 'Insecticide Resistance Monitoring (IRM): Dissemination of Pink Bollworm Management Strategies', to monitor and provide timely advisory to minimize pesticide application in cotton.

(b): Presently, there is no such proposal under consideration.

- (c): The  'Mission  for  Cotton  productivity'  has  been  announced  by  the  Hon'ble  Union Finance Minister in the Budget Speech of 2025. The Department of Agricultural Research &  Education  (DARE)  is  the  nodal  department  for  implementing  the  Mission,  with  the Ministry  of Textiles  as  a  partner.  This  five-year mission  has  been  envisaged  to facilitate significant improvements in productivity and sustainability of cotton farming, and promote extra-long staple cotton varieties.  The mission targets to -
- i.  Enhance cotton productivity by addressing the gap between demand, production, and expected  requirement  of cotton  through strategic interventions, including research, extension and human resource development.
- ii.  Increase  ELS  and  Kasturi  Cotton  by  developing  varieties  matching  India's  premium cotton grade Kasturi which has 33 to 35 mm fibre length and strength respectively.
- iii.  Extension/upscale  best  management  practices  targeting  improved  high  yielding varieties /hybrids. high-density planting system (HDPS), closer planting, mulching cum drip irrigation technologies suitable in different cotton growing regions.

(d) & (e):  Information regarding selection of the low cotton productivity districts in the State of  Maharashtra  for  cotton  productivity-related  trials  is  not  available,  however  State-wise details of area under production, total production & yield of cotton is at Annexure I.

ANNEXURE-I

AREA, PRODUCTION AND YIELD OF COTTON DURING THE LAST 5 COTTON SEASONS: (Area in lakh hectares, Production in lakh bales and Yield in Kgs/ hectare lint)

| Year           | 2020-21   | 2020-21   | 2020-21   | 2021-22   | 2021-22   | 2021-22   | 2022-23   | 2022-23   | 2022-23   | 2023-24   | 2023-24   | 2023-24   | 2024-25   | 2024-25   | 2024-25   |
|----------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| State          | Area      | Prod      | Yield     | Area      | Prod      | Yield     | Area      | Prod      | Yield     | Area      | Prod      | Yield     | Area      | Prod      | Yield     |
| Punjab         | 2.52      | 10.23     | 690       | 2.51      | 6.46      | 438       | 2.49      | 4.44      | 303       | 2.14      | 6.29      | 500       | 1.60      | 4.14      | 440       |
| Haryana        | 7.40      | 18.23     | 419       | 6.36      | 13.16     | 352       | 5.75      | 10.01     | 296       | 5.78      | 15.09     | 444       | 3.98      | 11.77     | 503       |
| Rajasthan      | 8.07      | 32.07     | 676       | 7.56      | 24.81     | 558       | 8.15      | 27.74     | 579       | 10.04     | 26.22     | 444       | 6.27      | 17.86     | 484       |
| Gujarat        | 22.70     | 72.18     | 541       | 22.84     | 75.09     | 559       | 24.84     | 87.95     | 602       | 26.83     | 90.57     | 574       | 23.72     | 71.57     | 513       |
| Maharashtra    | 45.44     | 101.05    | 378       | 44.10     | 82.49     | 318       | 41.82     | 83.16     | 338       | 42.34     | 80.45     | 323       | 41.23     | 73.73     | 304       |
| Madhya Pradesh | 5.88      | 13.38     | 387       | 5.60      | 14.20     | 431       | 5.95      | 14.33     | 409       | 6.30      | 18.01     | 486       | 5.37      | 15.35     | 486       |
| Telangana      | 23.58     | 57.97     | 418       | 18.89     | 48.78     | 439       | 19.73     | 57.45     | 495       | 18.18     | 50.80     | 475       | 18.12     | 57.89     | 543       |
| Andhra Pradesh | 6.06      | 16.00     | 449       | 5.54      | 17.08     | 524       | 7.04      | 15.41     | 372       | 4.22      | 7.37      | 297       | 4.04      | 11.31     | 476       |
| Karnataka      | 8.20      | 23.20     | 481       | 6.74      | 19.55     | 493       | 9.49      | 25.68     | 460       | 7.43      | 20.59     | 471       | 6.78      | 22.73     | 570       |
| Tamil Nadu     | 1.12      | 2.43      | 369       | 1.48      | 3.02      | 347       | 1.73      | 3.19      | 313       | 1.30      | 2.52      | 330       | 1.02      | 2.11      | 352       |
| Orissa         | 1.71      | 5.51      | 548       | 1.93      | 6.26      | 551       | 2.16      | 7.05      | 555       | 2.16      | 7.05      | 555       | 2.39      | 8.23      | 585       |
| Others         | 0.17      | 0.23      | 230       | 0.16      | 0.27      | 287       | 0.12      | 0.19      | 269       | 0.16      | 0.26      | 276       | 0.32      | 0.55      | 292       |

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