Dry spell and disease threaten cotton harvest in Karnataka’s Yadgir

A prolonged dry spell and severe moisture deficiency have damaged cotton crops across Karnataka’s Yadgir district, leaving farmers facing lower yields and significant financial losses. The Agriculture Department said farmers planted 2.20 lakh hectares of cotton during the kharif season, exceeding the target of 2.02 lakh hectares. The expansion followed initial showers across the district, but later rainfall shortages affected crop development.

Deficient rainfall affected 1.55 lakh hectares, or more than 70% of the sown area, according to department data. Between June and the end of September, Yadgir received 339 millimetres of rain against a normal average of 515 millimetres, representing a 34% deficit. The dry conditions and soil-moisture stress also contributed to brown disease and pest infestations in both rain-fed and irrigated fields.

Farmer leader Channappa Anegundi said timely rain during the crop’s critical growth stage could have improved yields and strengthened the plants against disease. Farmers in rain-fed areas expect yields of only two to three quintals per acre. Those with irrigation anticipate between five and seven quintals, although some irrigated growers also reported damage to crop quality and boll development.

Vijay Gulgi, a farmer, said he had irrigated his land on time but expected no more than five to six quintals per acre because changing weather conditions had affected the crop. The reduced output has raised concern that sales will not cover production costs. Growers spend about ₹30,000 per acre on seeds, weeding, chemical spraying and other maintenance, according to the report.

Cotton is selling for between ₹9,500 and ₹9,700 per quintal depending on quality, but farmer leader Chamarasa Malipatil said many growers might recover less than half of their expenditure because of the production losses.