Farmers are showing a preference for cotton cultivation during the current kharif season as the South-West monsoon progresses across Karnataka and parts of Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

In Gujarat, cotton sowing has already crossed nearly one lakh hectares. According to the Gujarat Agriculture Department’s latest sowing data, farmers had planted cotton on 93,499 hectares as of June 8, compared with 34,011 hectares during the same period last year.

Atul Ganatra, Chairman of the Crop Committee of the Cotton Association of India (CAI), said planting activity had been completed on one lakh hectares in Gujarat.

“Overall, in Central India, cotton sowing is likely to increase by 15 per cent and by about 10-20 per cent in South India.”

While acreage is expected to decline in Punjab and Haryana, Ganatra said cotton cultivation is projected to expand significantly in Rajasthan.

The expected sowing area across India is estimated to exceed 130 lakh hectares during the season, he said. He added that lower rainfall forecasts are influencing planting decisions, as cotton requires comparatively less water than several alternative crops.

The increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and procurement at MSP by CAI have also contributed to farmers opting for cotton cultivation.

For the 2026-27 marketing season, the Centre has increased the MSP by ₹557 per quintal to ₹8,267 for medium staple cotton and ₹8,667 for long staple cotton.

Ramanuj Das Boob, a sourcing agent based in Raichur, Karnataka, said cotton sowing had already started in areas that received rainfall. In Andhra Pradesh’s cotton-growing regions, around 70 per cent of sowing activity had been completed.

With another spell of rain, planting operations are expected to be completed, he said.

Meanwhile, the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) has further reduced its sale price by ₹2,500 per candy to support sales.