The picture of the swaying white cotton fields of Bathinda during summers is now history. Not long ago it was called the “Cotton Capital of Punjab”.

Generations of farmers in the fertile plains, nurtured by the Sutlej waters, were associated with the cultivation of the crop which supplied material for the associated ginning industry on the outskirts of the city providing employment to thousands.

From over 1.5 lakh hectares in 2019, the figures dropped to under 40,000 hectares by 2023. On ground, a majority of the ginning units have either shut down or shifted to alternative businesses like rice milling, cold storage or scrap dealing.

Kailash Garg, president of the Punjab Cotton Factories Association, said: “This cotton belt had 422 cotton factories in 2019 and today only 40 factories operate in the region.”

In 2023, Bathinda witnessed farmers shifting to paddy cultivation in big numbers. The area increased to approximately 2.32 lakh hectares, up from 1.90 lakh hectares in the previous year. In 2019, Bathinda’s cotton sector was thriving, with approximately 91,000 hectares under cultivation. By 2024, however, the scenario had changed drastically. The area under cotton cultivation in Bathinda plummeted to 14,500 hectares, a significant decline from previous years.

Cotton yields, during this period, too, witnessed declining yields. Recurring attacks by pests such as pink bollworm and whitefly have severely impacted crop health and yields. Unfavourable weather conditions, including intense heat during sowing periods, have also adversely affected cotton growth, compounding the difficulties faced by farmers. Additionally, the lack of upgraded and pest-resistant cotton seed varieties has left crops more vulnerable to diseases, further reducing productivity.

As cotton arrivals dwindled, many labourers who depended on seasonal work — whether in the fields, transportation, or processing units — found themselves without a steady source of income. Youth, who once followed family traditions in the cotton employment, have been forced to migrate to cities or shift to other low-paying jobs.

It is worth pointing out that farmers did not get the MSP for their produce last year, leading many to look for fresh alternatives. The minimum support price (MSP) for medium staple cotton was ₹7,121 per quintal during the 2024-2025 season. It was ₹7,521 for the long staple cotton.

Showing the ground situation, Amarpal Singh, son of an owner whose ginning unit has closed down, said, “We had to close our unit in 2019 because we were not getting the raw material. We had to let go our staff too most of whom are working as daily labourers. Not just us, a majority of the other units too had to close down because the business became unviable.”

Janak Goyal, who owned one of the ginning units in the district, recalls: “I had 150 workers. During peak season, trucks would line up for hours to unload. Now, all is lying defunct. I haven’t heard the sound of a cotton baler in three years.”

Kailash Garg said one of the biggest reasons behind the failing cotton cultivation and industry was the Punjab Government’s failure to upgrade the quality of cotton seeds.

It is also felt that the government has also failed to assure the MSP on any crop, forcing farmers to reconsider their cotton cultivation options.