Punjab’s Cotton Output Soars Despite Lower Acreage In 2023-24

Despite having the lowest-ever area under cotton cultivation during the 2023-24 season, Punjab has witnessed a notable increase in production of cotton compared to the previous season.

Even as the area under cotton has decreased by 80,000 hectares compared to the previous year, Punjab has recorded significant gains in yield per hectare.

Punjab’s cotton production stands at 59,500 tons or 3.50 lakh bales of 170 kg each between October 2023 and March 2024, data from the Cotton Association of India (CAI) informed.

“This is a considerable increase from last season’s production when it stood at 46,740 tons or 2.75 lakh bales in the same period,” the Indian Express reported.

The Office of the Textile Commissioner estimates Punjab’s total production to reach 4.89 lakh bales by the end of this season, compared to around 4.44 lakh bales last year.

Punjab’s cotton cultivation area this season stood at approximately 1.69 lakh hectares, marking an all-time low in over six decades.

However, yields reached around 491.89 kilograms per hectare as against 314.06 kg of cotton per hectare in the previous season.

Last year, Punjab cultivated cotton on 2.49 lakh hectares, an 80,000-hectare difference from this season.