BATHINDA, May 26 -- Punjab has achieved 78% of its cotton sowing target for the 2025-26 season, with a total of 1.06 lakh hectares of land sown with the cash crop.

While this is a slight improvement over the 96,000 hectares sown last year, agriculture experts are expressing concerns over the slow pace of diversification in the state's cropping patterns.

The state's cotton sowing target for the season was set at 1.29 lakh hectares. Despite the progress, experts argue that a marginal increase in acreage is not sufficient to address the pressing issue of agricultural diversification, especially for the Kharif crop season. This season's limited expansion in cotton acreage poses a significant challenge for Punjab's agricultural future, parti...