Cotton Acreage in Maharashtra Drops by 10% Due to Rainfall Deficit

14-Sep-2026 10:45 AM

Nagpur: Maharashtra, India's leading cotton-producing state in terms of cultivation area, has witnessed a decline of approximately 10% in the acreage of this vital industrial fiber crop. This drop is attributed to the lack of adequate and timely rainfall from the southwest monsoon this season. Maharashtra accounts for nearly 38% of the country's total cotton acreage.

According to data from the State Agriculture Department, although the cotton cultivation area reached 38.37 lakh hectares during the current Kharif season—just 4,000 hectares less than the previous year's 38.41 lakh hectares—it fell short of the five-year average area by more than 4 lakh hectares. The normal average area for cotton cultivation in Maharashtra is estimated at 42.50 lakh hectares.

It is noteworthy that cotton, alongside crops like soybean, tur (pigeon pea), sugarcane, and maize, is a key Kharif crop in Maharashtra. Kharif crops are cultivated on an average of 140 lakh hectares in the state, with cotton alone accounting for approximately 30% of the total sown area. Due to the rainfall deficit this season, there is deep concern regarding the average yield rate and total production of cotton in the state.

The adverse impact of weak rainfall on the cotton crop is particularly evident in Maharashtra's Nashik division, where the sown area has declined by about 24%. The Nashik division comprises the districts of Jalgaon, Dhule, Nandurbar, and Nashik. In this division, the cotton acreage dropped by 1.82 lakh hectares, falling from 9.30 lakh hectares to 7.48 lakh hectares.

In Jalgaon—one of Maharashtra's leading cotton-producing districts—the acreage reached only 4.30 lakh hectares, which is significantly lower than the normal average area of ​​5.50 lakh hectares.