India’s cotton production is expected to decline by 7% to 302 lakh bales in 2024-25. The Cotton Association of India (CAI) attributed the decline to a change in crop preferences in key regions such as Gujarat and Maharashtra.
The decline is due to a significant reduction in cultivated area as farmers in key cotton-growing regions such as Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh switch to groundnut and pulses. As a result, 14 lakh hectares of cultivation has decreased. This acreage shift coupled with adverse weather impacts yields and further tightens supply.
