Concerned over drop in cultivation, special incentive on cards to boost cotton farming in Haryana

Concerned over the continuous decline in cotton cultivation over the past six years, the Haryana Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department is set to launch a special initiative this kharif season to encourage farmers to return to cotton farming.

With the area under cotton cultivation falling to a record low of 3.9 lakh hectares in 2024-25 from nearly 8 lakh hectares in 2019-20, the department has formed a dedicated wing — Promotion for Cotton Cultivation in Haryana (PCCH) — to revive the crop across the state.

The initiative will mainly focus on seven major cotton-growing districts — Sirsa, Fatehabad, Hisar, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Rewari and Mahendragarh. Sirsa, Fatehabad and Hisar are traditionally known as Haryana’s cotton belt.

Agriculture experts attribute the decline in cotton cultivation to repeated pest attacks and crop losses in recent years, which forced many farmers to shift towards alternative crops, including paddy. Officials said the trend had also increased pressure on irrigation resources in some regions.

As part of the programme, demonstration plots will be developed in all districts to train farmers in scientific cotton cultivation practices. Each district will have a two-acre demonstration farm supervised jointly by scientists from the Agriculture Department and Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University.

The farms will document the entire cultivation process, including land preparation, sowing, irrigation, pesticide application and harvesting, to provide practical learning opportunities for farmers.

PCCH State Coordinator Dr Arun Kumar Yadav said agriculture scientists would guide farmers on fertiliser and pesticide use, pest identification and disease management.

“Farmers will also be trained to identify diseases and harmful insects in cotton crops. The entire cultivation process, including cotton picking, will be monitored by officials. Local farmers will be able to visit these demonstration plots and learn directly from the host farmers and experts,” he said.

Dr Yadav said detailed reports would be prepared on seed usage, irrigation schedules, pesticide application, disease control and final yield to assess profitability under scientific farming methods. He added that village-level awareness and training camps would also be organised across the state free of cost.

To encourage cotton cultivation, the state government is providing financial assistance of Rs 2,000 per acre for micronutrients. Farmers cultivating indigenous cotton varieties are also eligible for assistance of Rs 4,000 per acre.

“Farmers must upload their details on the ‘Meri Fasal Mera Byora’ portal and submit purchase bills to avail the benefit,” a department official said.

The Agriculture Department, Haryana Agricultural University and the Central Institute for Cotton Research are also conducting field trials of Bt cotton seeds to assess yield, pest resistance and pesticide requirements. Officials said 46 cotton varieties are currently approved in Haryana.

According to agriculture scientists, April 15 to May 25 is considered the most suitable period for cotton sowing in the state.