A growing crisis is impacting India’s cotton farmers, with many like Kailash Rao Kadam, a 55-year-old grower from western Maharashtra, deciding to abandon the crop. This summer-sown season might be his last with cotton, a crop that once brought prosperity to his village. The decline in cotton output is a serious concern. For the 2024-25 season, India is projected to produce only 29.4 million bales (170 kg each), the lowest in over a decade.
Farmers are facing not only fluctuating profits but also the lowest prices in three years. While cotton buyers find the fibre cheaper abroad, domestic prices remain high. This, along with a drop in productivity, has pushed farmers like Kadam to seek alternatives. “If I continue with cotton, it will make me a beggar,” Kadam shared over the phone from Aurangabad.
The popular BT cotton, a genetically-modified variety once hailed as ‘white gold’, seems to have lost its effectiveness. It is no longer providing adequate protection against pests. Over the years, the pests have developed resistance, and new, effective alternatives are scarce. This situation has led many farmers, particularly in Punjab, to switch back to traditional ‘desi’ varieties. This is in an effort to combat pests like whiteflies, which can destroy entire fields quickly, according to Joginder Dhinsa, a farmer from Mansa.
The crisis has worsened this year due to the government’s decision to allow duty-free imports of cotton for a four-month period until December. This measure aims to support the textile sector, which is also facing losses due to high domestic cotton prices. The labour-intensive textile industry is also bracing for the potential impact of a 50% tariff proposed by US President Donald Trump.
Last week, an inter-ministerial meeting acknowledged the urgent need for a technological breakthrough. They reviewed the progress of a ₹2,500 crore cotton productivity mission, announced in this year’s Union Budget by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. This five-year mission is designed to boost cotton production.
At its peak, during the 2013-14 season, India’s cotton output reached 39.8 million bales. The current projected output of 29.4 million bales highlights the significant decline. The cotton productivity mission plans to focus on developing “climate-smart, pest-resistant, and high-yielding cotton varieties.” This includes a focus on extra-long staple (ELS) cotton, using advanced breeding and biotechnology tools.
The term “biotechnology tools” suggests that India might approve next-generation homegrown genetically modified (GM) technologies for cotton. This comes even as the government remains hesitant about allowing GM food crops. Records from the review meeting indicate that GM upgrades in development include field trials of a proprietary ‘BioCotX24A1’ transgenic technology by Bioseed Research India Ltd. The company has requested permission for a second round of field trials from the Genetic Engineering Assessment Committee (GEAC), the GM regulator.
Additionally, Rasi Seeds Pvt Ltd is seeking clearance for the first stage of field trials for a gene designed to protect against the pink bollworm, the very pest that BT cotton was intended to control. The government is also planning to modernise 1,000 ginning mills as part of the budget’s plan to strengthen the cotton sector.