Punjab Government announces 33% subsidy on cotton seeds to revive shrinking acreage
Farmers can apply online through the government portal from April 20 to May 31 to avail the subsidy
In a bid to revive cotton cultivation, which has shrunk to historically low levels in Punjab, the state government has announced a 33 per cent subsidy on seeds for farmers cultivating indigenous and Bt cotton.
The scheme, rolled out by the Agriculture Department, aims to encourage farmers to return to cotton, once considered Punjab’s “white gold.”
Farmers can apply online through the government portal from April 20 to May 31 to avail the subsidy, which will be offered for up to five acres. Subsidies will be given on the seed varieties approved by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU).
Cotton acreage in Punjab has fallen drastically over the decades - from over 7 lakh hectares in the 1980s to just 1 lakh hectares in 2024, largely due to pink bollworm infestations, poor market prices below MSP, and erratic weather.
Although the area saw a slight increase to 1.19 lakh hectares in 2025 following government efforts, the target for this year has been set at 1.26 lakh hectares.
At a recent inter-state consultative forum, Satbir Singh Gosal, Vice-Chancellor of PAU, outlined a roadmap for revival. “We have stressed timely availability of high-quality seeds and subsidies on Bt cotton to encourage wider adoption among farmers,” he said, adding that canal water supply for pre-sowing irrigation and balanced fertilisation are critical for productivity.
Farmers, however, remain wary. “The losses are unbearable. Even after spraying multiple times, the yield is not assured,” said a Bathinda based farmer Sharanjit Singh, pointing to repeated whitefly and pink bollworm attacks that have devastated crops in recent seasons.
Gurjeet Singh Brar, Director of Agriculture, Punjab, attributed the decline to a shift towards paddy, driven by reliable irrigation and recurring pest attacks in cotton.
He emphasised timely sowing, deep ploughing, and crop residue management as key interventions, while noting that a large-scale awareness campaign is underway in cotton-growing districts.
