Question

Akola is known as the ‘Cotton City of India’ due to its high cotton production. Shyamlal a cotton farmer from the district does not want his son to follow his vocation. Instead he wants his son to find employment in Pune. What are the problems associated with the growing of cotton that is influencing Shyamlal?

Answer 1

• Frequent pest attacks and diseases (e.g., bollworm) requiring heavy pesticide use.
• High and rising input costs (hybrid/Bt seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, irrigation), reducing net profit.
• Price volatility and low market returns for cotton, making income unstable.
• Dependence on rainfall/irrigation and vulnerability to weather (droughts, untimely rains, frost at crucial stages).
• Soil depletion and erosion from continuous cotton cultivation, lowering long-term productivity.