A significant increase of 50 per cent compared to previous years in cotton cultivation has emerged in the district this year in the current Kharip season. The data from the Agricultural Department shows that this increase has come at the cost of soybeans, a major cash crop for the farmers in the Vidarbha region. According to figures from the Agriculture Department, in the last 5 years the cotton was sown on an average of 586,830 hectares.

 

The data available till July 29 shows that the cotton has been cultivated on 6,41,364 hectares, making it 109.3 percent of the average cultivation area. Meanwhile, soybean, which has traditionally been the region’s most dominant Kharif crop, has has seen a drop from 3,14,427 hectares of average cultivation area to 2,64,057 hectares making only 83.98 per cent coverage. Agricultural officials believe the decline in soybean sowing is due to a clear shift in farmer preference towards cotton, considered a more profitable cash crop. Attractive Minimum Support Prices (MSP), increasing textile industry demand, and newer seed varieties have made cotton a more appealing choice, particularly in areas with black cotton soil and moderate irrigation. An official from the Agriculture Department stated, “This Kharif season, farmers have opted for cotton over soybean.

 

While cotton is more expensive to sow and takes longer to mature, it offers better returns. Despite this shift, the production of soybean and its products, like soybean oil, has not been affected. Cotton sowing has especially increased across the Nagpur Division.” Farmers point to higher and more stable market prices for cotton, while soybean continues to face price volatility and pest issues. The delayed arrival of the monsoon further benefited cotton sowing this year. The Agriculture Department is encouraging balanced crop planning, soil testing, and crop rotation techniques to support both farmer income and ecological sustainability.