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In a decisive step toward addressing the stagnation and recent decline in India’s cotton productivity, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, announced the convening of a special crop-focused meeting in Coimbatore on July 11, 2025, aimed at reviving one of India’s most critical cash crops. The meeting, part of a broader series of targeted deliberations across major crops, is expected to lay the groundwork for a national roadmap to restore and boost India’s cotton economy.

Delivering his message via video, Chouhan expressed deep concern over the state of India’s cotton sector. Once a global leader in cotton acreage and output, India is now grappling with declining productivity, rising input costs, and new biotic stresses, particularly the TSV virus affecting Bt cotton varieties. “The productivity of cotton is quite low and has declined further in recent years,” said the Minister, adding that farmers are under growing economic pressure due to this downturn.

The Coimbatore meeting will bring together a high-powered cross-section of stakeholders: from farmer organisations and cotton-growing communities to ICAR scientists, agriculture ministers from cotton-producing states, state government officials, agricultural university experts, and industry leaders. The goal, Chouhan said, is clear: To jointly develop a comprehensive, technology-led, climate-resilient, and farmer-centric roadmap for the cotton sector.

At the heart of the initiative is a renewed push for climate-resilient and virus-tolerant seed varieties, alongside strategies to reduce input costs, enhance farm profitability, and expand the value-added processing ecosystem for Indian cotton. The Ministry is also exploring biosecurity protocols, integrated pest management, and genome-edited varietal development as critical levers in the upcoming plan.

Chouhan also extended an open invitation to cotton farmers across India to submit their suggestions, reinforcing the government’s intent to make this roadmap both participatory and grassroots-informed. “Together, we will prepare a comprehensive roadmap to enhance cotton production in our country,” he said.

The significance of the move goes beyond just the cotton fields. Cotton sustains over six million farmers and supports a Rs 10 lakh crore textile economy that accounts for a major share of India’s rural employment and export basket. Any disruption in cotton productivity has far-reaching implications across agri-input industries, textile supply chains, and global trade commitments.

This urgent policy reset comes against the backdrop of stagnant yields—India’s average lint yield remains around 450–500 kg/ha, well below global peers like Brazil and the U.S., despite having the world’s largest cotton cultivation area. The recent viral onslaught has further threatened already stressed agro-ecologies in Maharashtra, Telangana, and parts of Gujarat.

The July 11 meeting is expected to culminate in key recommendations on R&D investments, state-centre coordination, and industry partnerships for seed systems, input delivery, and market access. It also represents a critical step in aligning India’s cotton sector with the goals of the National Mission on Natural Farming, regenerative agriculture, and sustainable input use.

As India aims to reclaim its leadership in the global cotton economy, the Coimbatore summit will test the country’s ability to blend scientific foresight, farmer wisdom, and institutional urgency into a coherent revival plan. Cotton, once the white gold of India, may yet script its comeback—if policy, science, and farmer participation move in lockstep.