The Technology Mission on Cotton may have to wait another year to kick start as the main sowing window is already over now, with lower coverage reported from many States. If the government can announce it this year, the Mission may get implemented in the next kharif season.
In her Budget speech for 2025-26, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said: “For the benefit of lakhs of cotton-growing farmers, I am pleased to announce a ‘Mission for Cotton Productivity’. This 5-year mission will facilitate significant improvements in productivity and sustainability of cotton farming, and promote extra-long staple cotton varieties. The best of science and technology support will be provided to farmers.
“Aligned with our integrated 5F (farm, fibre, factory, fashion and foreign) vision for the textile sector, this will help in increasing incomes of the farmers, and ensure a steady supply of quality cotton for rejuvenating India’s traditional textile sector.”
HTBt cotton row
As the main issue is to raise cotton productivity and promote extra-long staple cotton varieties, the government is yet to decide whether it will allow herbicide tolerant (HT) genetically modified (GM) technology, even as farmers have been illegally growing HT Bt cotton for last few years. Anti-GM activists alleged that the seeds of HT Bt cotton are also grown in India every year which no State government is stopping, even though those varieties are not approved.
Sources said that the Mission has been entrusted to Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), which governs the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR). Besides, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare as well as Ministry of Textile are also involved in the Mission.
The government aims to spend ₹2,500 crore in a five-year period when it is launched and the Finance Ministry is yet to approve the yearly expected expenditure, sources said. The government has allocated ₹500 crore for the Cotton Mission for 2025-26.
Cotton productivity in India increased to 465 kg/hectare in 2024-25 from 436 kg/hectare in 2023-24. China’ cotton yield is 2,402 kg/hectare, followed by Australia’s 2,032 kg and Brazil’s 1,903 kg, according to USDA data.
Area drops
Meanwhile, cotton acreage has dropped 3.2 per cent to 106.96 lakh hectares (lh) until August 8 this season, as against 110.49 lh a year ago. Gujarat, the top producer of cotton, has seen acreage at 20.59 lh as of August 11, lower from 23.47 lh year-ago. In Maharashtra too, the area has dropped to 38.39 lh from 42.47 lh. But in Rajasthan, the cotton area has increased to 6.29 lh from 5.13 lh.
“Oilseeds area is lower for the second consecutive season after launch of the Oilseed Mission last year. Cotton area has dipped ahead of launch of a similar mission. The government needs to think holistically as total cultivable area is limited. Farmers will continue to shift to other crops whenever they feel they may get better prices,” said agriculture scientist AK Singh. The higher area under paddy and maize is a pointer for the government to think how to manage crop planning, he added.
businessline in May reported cotton area, which saw a decline of 10 per cent during the kharif 2024 season, might shrink further this year as farmers were seen to be moving to maize and groundnut.
Published on August 14, 2025