Faced with severe pink bollworm infestation, weak prices and rising costs, farmers may opt for paddy, guar, maize
In Punjab, the cotton area during 2023-24 kharif season had declined by 32 per cent to 1.69 lakh ha over the previous year’s 2.49 lakh hectares
With the 2024-25 kharif cotton plantings set to begin in North India, stakeholders see a dip in acreages as weak prices for the fibre crop coupled with severe infestation of pink bollworm (PBW) witnessed last season and rising labour costs may prompt farmers to look at safer bets like paddy, maize and guar.