BATHINDA, Sept. 7 -- As the first picking of cotton commenced in parts of Punjab, the ongoing rainy season, unfriendly to the key kharif crop, has left the farmers worried about economic losses.

According to information gathered from the region, more than 20,000 acres of land under the 'white gold' cultivation is adversely impacted by waterlogging.

Wet climatic conditions have exposed the crop to fungal attack, while infestation of the deadly pink bollworm is also looming large as the crop advances towards mass harvest.

Agriculture officials said that there was hope of a good harvest until the rains lashed the region, denting the chances of reviving the traditional crop in the dry Malwa belt. The area under the cotton has been steadily...