**Executive Summary**
This document presents the answer to Unstarred Question No. 1640 in Lok Sabha regarding the Cotton Production Mission, to be answered on February 10th, 2026. It addresses concerns about declining cotton production, potential policy measures, and the implementation of a Production-Linked Incentive scheme. A five-year Cotton Production Mission is discussed.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Cotton Production Trends:**
* During the last five years, area under production, total production and yield of cotton in different states are provided in a table.
* **Reasons for Decline in Production:**
* According to ICAR, reasons for decline include pesticide-induced breakdown of resistance to pink bollworm (PBW) and widespread resurgence of PBW, as well as whitefly outbreaks and cotton leaf curl virus.
* **Policies and Programs:**
* Policies like Refuge-in-bag (RIB) have been introduced to minimize crop losses.
* The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare is implementing the Cotton Development Programme under the National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM).
* ICAR is implementing a project titled “Insecticide Resistance Monitoring (IRM): Dissemination of Pink Bollworm Management Strategies”.
* **Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme:**
* There is currently no proposal for a Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme under consideration.
* **Mission for Cotton Productivity:**
* A five-year "Mission for Cotton productivity" was announced by the Union Finance Minister in the Budget Speech of 2025.
* The Department of Agricultural Research & Education (DARE) is the nodal department for implementation, with the Ministry of Textiles as a partner.
* **Mission Targets Include:**
* Enhancing cotton productivity.
* Increasing ELS and Kasturi Cotton production.
* Extension/upscaling best management practices.
* **District-Wise Information:**
* Information regarding the selection of low cotton productivity districts in Maharashtra for cotton productivity-related trials is not available.
* State-wise details of area under production, total production & yield of cotton is at Annexure I.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare**
* **Impact**: Required to take appropriate policy measures to address cotton production decline. Overseeing the implementation of Cotton Development Programme under NFSNM, and also the "Mission for Cotton Productivity."
* **Action Required**: Implement the five-year Cotton Production Mission, addressing its various targets and strategic interventions.
**Stakeholder: Department of Agricultural Research & Education (DARE)**
* **Impact**: DARE is the nodal department for implementing the five-year Cotton Production Mission.
* **Action Required**: Oversee the implementation of the Cotton Production Mission, working in partnership with the Ministry of Textiles.
**Stakeholder: Cotton Farmers**
* **Impact**: Affected by declining cotton production due to pesticide resistance, virus outbreaks, and climatic conditions. Will be targeted by the Cotton Development Programme and the "Mission for Cotton Productivity" to improve yields and sustainability.
* **Action Required**: Implement best management practices, adopt new cotton varieties/hybrids, and adapt to new technologies to improve productivity and resistance to pests and diseases.
Key Entities Referenced
Cotton Production Mission: A proposed five-year mission aimed at improving cotton productivity and sustainability.
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare: The primary ministry responsible for addressing cotton production issues and implementing relevant schemes.
National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM): A mission under which the Cotton Development Programme is implemented to enhance cotton production.
Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme: A proposed scheme for the seed industry to boost cotton production.
Maharashtra: A state where districts with low cotton productivity are considered for cotton productivity-related trials, and where various cotton production programs are being implemented.
O.I.H
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 10TH FEBRUARY, 2026
COTTON PRODUCTION MISSION
1640. SHRI AMAR SHARADRAO KALE :
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण मं(cid:361)ी
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
कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण रा(cid:475) मं(cid:361)ी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)
(a): During last five years, area under production, total production and yield of cotton is as
under :
Year 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 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 zones-
large scale demonstration of best practices to enhance cotton productivity' of ICAR-
Central 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 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 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
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
Pradesh
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
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
Pradesh
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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