According to the Cotton Association of India (CAI), better prices for cash crops like soybean and paddy may distract the farmers from cotton sowing and in result, cotton sowing area is expected to decline by 10-12 percent to 10.7 million hectare this year in comparison of 12.2 million hectare last year as distressed farmers in Punjab, Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have evinced weak interest in this cash crop. Farmers are facing a spate of issues such as water shortage, unfavourable weather and the persistent menace of pink bollworm, CAI said. Farmers may shift from Cotton to Groundnut in Gujarat, paddy in Haryana and Soybean in Maharashtra and the Telangana belt as Cotton is still not remunerative compared to other options. Similarly, Soybean, pulses and Sugarcane area could surpass Cotton in acreage as prices were firm and pest infestation in those crops are less, the association noted. The decline in acreage may lower Cotton output proportionately. Indias Cotton output was estimated at 37.7 million bales in the first advanced estimate by the Cotton Advisory Board (CAB) under the Ministry of Textiles

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