Bathinda, July 28 -- After years of struggling with pest-infested Bt cotton and shrinking profits, a section of farmers in Punjab are turning back to a traditional crop with a modern promise - indigenous desi cotton - to overcome an economic crisis following dismal cotton seasons since 2021.

Once sidelined by genetically modified varieties, desi cotton is now being revived with institutional support, scientific backing, and farmer-led trials. The state's agriculture department has begun actively promoting desi cotton this kharif season, marking a major shift in crop strategy aimed at restoring sustainability and profitability to Punjab's cotton belt.

Bt cotton, introduced in 2005 in Punjab, has dominated for nearly two decades. However,...