COMMODITY
Cotton sowing in India gain pace in July as southwest monsoon strengthens in key growing states
Jul-10-2026

Agriculture Commissioner P K Singh said that cotton sowing in India has gained pace in July as the southwest monsoon strengthens in key growing states such as Maharashtra. Cotton sowing was lagged around 23 per cent behind last year through the kharif season. Cotton acreage stood at 63.18 lakh hectare as on July 5, against 82 lakh hectare planted at the same period last year, though the gap has narrowed as rains improve.

Singh said cotton is sown twice a year in India and the planting window varies by region. Sowing typically begins in Punjab and Haryana before spreading to Tamil Nadu. The window usually closes by July 15 but has been extended to July 30 this season because of the delayed monsoon.

According to the agriculture ministry's latest estimate, cotton production for 2025-26 stood at 290.91 lakh bales of 170 kg each, down from 297.24 lakh bales in 2024-25. India's major cotton belts are Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh in the central zone, followed by the northern states of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, and Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in the southern zone.

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