**Executive Summary**
This document presents the Indian government's response to a parliamentary question regarding cotton production in India, with specific focus on Andhra Pradesh. It provides data on cotton production and area under cultivation for the last five years. It also assesses the impact of Bt-cotton and steps taken to protect native cotton varieties. The data is current as of February 10th, 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Cotton Production Data:**
* State-wise details of area and production of cotton in the country for the last five years are provided in Annexure I.
* District-wise details of area and production of cotton in Andhra Pradesh for the last five years are provided in Annexure II.
* **Bt-Cotton Usage:**
* Approximately 95% of the area under cotton cultivation in India is occupied by Bt-cotton (Gossypium hirsutum).
* **Impact of Bt-Cotton:**
* Bt-cotton replaced varietal areas with Bt-hybrids, available only as hybrids in India.
* Bt-cotton adoption is a poor indicator of yield trends but a strong indicator of initial pesticide use reduction.
* Bt-cotton continues to control the American bollworm, but pink bollworm has developed resistance.
* Sucking pests are increasing in the cotton ecosystem.
* Farmers are spending more on pesticides than during the initial period of Bt-cotton introduction.
* **Protection of Native Cotton Varieties:**
* The ICAR-Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), Nagpur, is involved in germplasm conservation, documentation, and utilization of wild, perennial, and native cotton species.
* ICAR-CICR has dedicated research projects for the improvement and popularisation of G. arboreum and G. herbaceum species in north and central India, respectively.
**Impact Analysis**
**Cotton Farmers**
* **Impact:** Affected by the prevalence of Bt-cotton, pest resistance issues, and pesticide costs. Need data to improve yields, better manage pests, and reduce pesticide costs.
* **Action Required:** Stay informed about best practices for cotton cultivation, including pest management strategies and the use of pesticides. Monitor cotton crops for pest infestation and disease, and take timely and effective action to protect their crops.
**Agricultural Researchers (ICAR-CICR, Nagpur)**
* **Impact:** Responsible for conserving cotton germplasm and improving native cotton varieties. Need to continue research and development efforts to enhance the resilience of cotton varieties.
* **Action Required:** Continue to focus on research related to germplasm conservation, documentation, utilization of wild cotton species, and dedicated research projects to improve and popularise G. arboreum and G. herbaceum species in north and central India, respectively.
**Policymakers (Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare)**
* **Impact:** Need to develop policies that balance the benefits of Bt-cotton with the need to protect native cotton varieties and promote sustainable agricultural practices. Need to monitor cotton cultivation in India and take action to address emerging challenges.
* **Action Required:** Review existing policies related to cotton cultivation and make adjustments as necessary to promote sustainable agricultural practices.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare: The central government ministry responsible for agriculture and farmer welfare in India, the primary body answering the questions regarding cotton production.
Andhra Pradesh: A state in India, the focus of district-wise cotton production details within the question.
ICAR-Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), Nagpur: The institute involved in germplasm conservation and research projects related to cotton.
Bt-cotton: A genetically modified cotton variety, subject of discussion in the context of its long-term impact and pest resistance.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1711
TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 10TH FEBRUARY, 2026
COTTON PRODUCTION
1711. SHRI BASTIPATI NAGARAJU:
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ(cid:874)ष एवं (cid:873)कसान क(cid:227)याण मं(cid:287)ी
be pleased to state:
(a) the details regarding the total cotton production in the last five years, year, State and
district-wise for Andhra Pradesh;
(b) the details regarding the total cottonseed production in the last five years, year, State
and district-wise for Andhra Pradesh;
(c) the details regarding the total area under cotton production in the last five years, year,
State and district-wise for Andhra Pradesh;
(d) the details regarding the total cotton production and area under cultivation in the last five
years, year-wise and cotton genetic variety-wise;
(e) whether the Government is aware of the homogenization of the genetic varieties of
cotton cultivated in the country;
(f) if so, whether the Government has conducted any study to assess the long-term impact
of it, and the details of the findings; and
(g) the details regarding the steps taken by the Government to protect native cotton
varieties?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
कृ(cid:874)ष एवं (cid:873)कसान क(cid:227)याण रा(cid:207)य म(cid:287)ं ी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)
(a) to (d): The details of State-wise area and production of cotton in the country, as
well as the district-wise area and production of cotton in Andhra Pradesh during the last five
years, are given in Annexure I and Annexure II, respectively.
(e): Yes, About 95% area under cotton cultivation is occupied by Bt-cotton (Gossypium
hirsutum).(f): Studies conducted on long-term impact of Bt-cotton in India revealed that:
1. Bt-cotton technology replaced large tracts of varietal areas with Bt-hybrids, because in
India, the technology was available only in the form of hybrids.
2. Bt-cotton adoption is shown to be a poor indicator of yield trends but a strong indicator of
initial reductions in pesticide use
3. Bt-cotton has continued to control one major cotton pest [American bollworm
(Helicoverpa armigera)]. However, pink bollworm has developed resistance against Bt
protein and is becoming a major pest in all cotton growing areas. Sucking pests are also
surging in the cotton ecosystem over the years.
4. Farmers now spend more on pesticides than during initial period of Bt-cotton
introduction.
(g): The ICAR-Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), Nagpur is involved in
germplasm conservation, documentation and utilization of wild cotton species, perennials,
and native cotton species. Further, ICAR-CICR has dedicated research projects for
improvement and popularisation of G. arboreum and G. herbaceum species in north and
central India, respectively.Annexure I
State-wise area and production of cotton during the last 5 years
Source: DA&FW
Area (Thousand Hectares) Production (Thousand Bales)
State
2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
Andhra Pradesh 606.00 554.00 704.00 422.00 404.00 1600.55 1707.62 1540.52 737.26 1131.20
Gujarat 2270.50 2283.70 2483.73 2683.32 2371.65 7212.18 7509.34 8795.33 9056.99 7156.80
Haryana 739.60 635.60 574.61 577.68 398.46 1822.90 1316.06 1000.50 1508.76 1176.63
Karnataka 820.00 674.00 949.00 743.00 678.00 2320.12 1954.60 2567.88 2058.55 2273.29
Madhya Pradesh 588.00 560.00 595.00 630.00 537.00 1338.56 1419.76 1433.25 1801.06 1535.19
Maharashtra 4544.60 4409.97 4182.44 4234.47 4122.98 10105.05 8249.24 8315.67 8045.49 7372.86
Odisha 171.24 193.11 216.31 216.31 238.62 550.99 625.91 704.92 704.92 822.54
Punjab 251.60 251.30 248.90 213.80 160.40 1022.68 645.99 443.63 628.82 414.21
Rajasthan 807.84 755.86 814.61 1003.79 627.39 3207.59 2480.99 2774.47 2621.66 1786.22
Tamil Nadu 112.05 147.91 173.27 129.73 102.36 243.21 301.91 319.02 251.83 210.74
Telangana 2358.00 1889.00 1972.90 1818.00 1812.31 5797.91 4878.06 5744.62 5079.71 5788.73
Others 16.46 17.07 12.03 15.54 30.45 26.61 28.11 20.38 26.97 55.77
All India 13285.89 12371.52 12926.80 12687.64 11483.62 35248.35 31117.59 33660.19 32522.02 29724.18
# Cotton Production in Thousand Bales, 1Bale=170 KgAnnexure II
District-wise area and production of cotton in Andhra Pradesh during the last 5 years
Area (Thousand Hectares) Production (Thousand Bales)
District
2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
Alluri Sitharama Raju 0.00 0.00 2.68 1.98 2.01 0.00 0.00 7.61 7.19 7.18
Anakapalli 0.00 0.00 0.08 0.04 0.10 0.00 0.00 0.23 0.11 0.35
Anantapur 40.64 43.37 79.06 32.71 28.60 35.37 34.11 89.94 19.53 39.32
Annamayya 0.00 0.00 0.17 0.05 0.05 0.00 0.00 0.32 0.05 0.08
Bapatla 0.00 0.00 4.78 1.35 1.75 0.00 0.00 10.26 2.84 3.56
Chittoor 0.09 0.15 0.03 0.00 0.01 0.26 0.25 0.06 0.00 0.01
East Godavari 6.96 5.02 0.20 0.04 0.02 16.00 18.53 0.56 0.12 0.08
Eluru 0.00 0.00 3.79 3.23 3.06 0.00 0.00 11.40 5.89 7.41
Guntur 162.80 109.59 27.84 18.00 21.87 458.34 383.29 90.43 75.45 103.30
Kakinada 0.00 0.00 2.06 1.82 2.12 0.00 0.00 7.50 8.02 9.37
Krishna 47.85 36.17 0.32 0.12 0.39 111.34 137.40 0.90 0.39 1.33
Kurnool 275.80 266.37 272.56 203.84 197.83 862.96 508.88 615.12 205.69 517.15
Nandyal 0.00 0.00 33.24 10.44 7.18 0.00 0.00 56.98 16.96 17.71
Ntr 0.00 0.00 39.21 29.41 30.94 0.00 0.00 131.04 128.36 110.51
Palnadu 0.00 0.00 104.95 65.60 65.91 0.00 0.00 317.73 208.37 231.91
Parvathipuram Manyam 0.00 0.00 8.85 5.41 6.31 0.00 0.00 27.23 10.56 14.09
Prakasam 32.98 41.35 49.07 18.37 12.38 45.66 79.50 86.02 16.56 15.06
Spsr Nellore 3.37 6.72 15.66 0.26 3.56 9.24 19.91 39.16 0.94 21.31
Sri Sathya Sai 0.00 0.00 6.05 3.19 3.61 0.00 0.00 3.54 2.23 4.03
Srikakulam 3.72 3.46 1.38 1.06 1.03 13.49 9.62 3.45 3.79 3.72
Tirupati 0.00 0.00 0.18 0.09 0.02 0.00 0.00 0.33 0.08 0.04
Visakhapatanam 0.81 0.27 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.66 0.32 0.00 0.00 0.00
Vizianagaram 10.07 9.23 2.04 1.84 1.81 21.45 19.28 5.89 4.78 4.88
West Godavari 4.77 2.93 0.00 0.00 0.00 7.79 8.18 0.00 0.00 0.00
Y.S.R. 16.55 29.14 49.72 23.13 13.44 16.98 53.66 40.99 19.33 18.80
# Cotton Production in Thousand Bales, 1Bale=170 Kg
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