BATHINDA, June 4 -- The Punjab government's efforts to promote crop diversification and reduce dependence on water-intensive paddy cultivation have suffered a setback, as cotton sowing in the state has reached its lowest-ever level. Against a target of 1.25 lakh hectares for the 2026-27 kharif season, only 70,000 hectares have been brought under cotton cultivation so far, achieving just 56% of the intended coverage. According to data compiled by the state agriculture department till June 2, Fazilka district has emerged as the leading cotton-growing district with nearly 40,000 hectares under cultivation. It is followed by Bathinda, Mansa and Muktsar districts, each recording around 10,000 hectares under the crop. Agriculture officials said the final sowing figures would become clear after June 15, the deadline for farmers to register for the 33% subsidy on cotton seeds. Experts believe only a marginal increase in acreage is likely, as a large number of farmers remain reluctant to return to cotton cultivation after suffering repeated losses over the past several years. Deputy director (cotton) in the Punjab agriculture department Charanjeet Singh said the decline in cotton acreage would directly increase pressure on the state's water resources, as many farmers are expected to shift to paddy cultivation. "A significant reduction in cotton cultivation means more farmers will opt for paddy, which consumes substantially more water. This comes at a time when the government is making concerted efforts to reduce paddy acreage and promote alternative crops to conserve groundwater," Singh said. He attributed the farmers' reluctance to five consecutive seasons of poor returns caused by adverse weather conditions and pest attacks. The state government had taken extensive preventive measures against pest infestations in 2025, including the formation of an inter-state consultative committee to monitor cotton fields and coordinate pest management strategies, he said. "Last year, there was no major pest outbreak and authorities were hopeful of a good crop. However, untimely rains during the cotton boll-picking season in October caused extensive damage to standing crops, resulting in heavy financial losses for farmers. After such setbacks, many growers are unwilling to invest in cotton again," he added. In 2025, cotton was cultivated on approximately 1.19 lakh hectares in Punjab. However, widespread crop losses due to unseasonal rainfall severely impacted production and farmer incomes. Punjab's cotton sector has been struggling since 2021 due to recurring attacks by whitefly and pink bollworm, erratic canal water supply and weather-related disruptions. The area under cotton cultivation has witnessed a dramatic decline over the past decade. From more than 3 lakh hectares before 2016, cotton acreage has steadily shrunk, while in 2011-12 the crop was cultivated on 5.16 lakh hectares, the highest area recorded in the last 15 years. The semi-arid districts of Fazilka, Bathinda, Mansa and Muktsar have traditionally been the backbone of Punjab's cotton economy, contributing nearly 98% of the state's total cotton production. Bathinda chief agriculture officer Harpreet Pal Kaur said agriculture experts had advised farmers to complete cotton sowing by May 15, though sowing activity continued for nearly two more weeks. She said that despite the availability of pest-resistant indigenous cotton varieties developed by Punjab Agricultural University, farmers have shown little interest in adopting them. Fazilka chief agriculture officer Harbans Singh Sidhu expressed hope that newly introduced hybrid cotton varieties with improved resistance to pests could help revive farmer interest in the crop. Farmers, however, remain sceptical. A progressive farmer from Muktsar said recurring problems such as whitefly and pink bollworm infestations, availability of spurious seeds, and market prices often falling below the Minimum Support Price due to poor crop quality and weak demand have eroded growers' confidence....