BATHINDA, April 30 -- Punjab government's efforts to increase the acreage of cotton are unlikely to have a significant impact in the semi-arid southwest districts of the state till the new cotton hybrid seeds, which are resistant to pink bollworm attack, are released, agricultural experts said. They added that a 33% subsidy incentive may help the state improve the acreage marginally compared to kharif in 2024, when 95,000 hectares, the lowest ever, were under cotton production. In 2016, the area under cotton was recorded at 2.95 lakh hectares, and it jumped to 3.35 lakh hectares in 2019. Officials said that in the last two decades, the cotton area in Punjab remained more than 2.50 lakh hectares but decreased to 1.73 lakh hectares in 2023 and slipped further in 2024. This year, the state has set the target to increase the cotton area to 1.25 lakh hectares in 2025-26. Farmers are being encouraged by the state agriculture authorities to sow desi or indigenous high-yield varieties to regain the area lost to paddy. An official of the state agriculture department, who didn't wish to be named, said that the hybrid seeds are vulnerable to the deadly pink bollworm and farmers are hesitant to take risks after three successive failed seasons since 2021. He said the traditional crop of the southwest districts of Punjab can witness a major push when new cotton hybrids resistant to pink bollworm attacks are released. "The hybrids are in the testing stage, and it may take 2-3 years before the central authorities allow the sale of new seeds," he added. Subsidy on cotton hybrid in Punjab was rolled out for the first time in 2023. But in the following season, officials said that the state authorities could not announce the incentive due to the model code of conduct for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. "The subsidy is aimed at keeping farmers away from buying unapproved seeds, which were among the key reasons behind crop failure in 2021 and later. Infestation of pink bollworm and whitefly led to higher usage of farm chemicals, which increases the cost input. The ground reality is that farmers are keen to switch over to the traditional kharif crop of the semi-arid districts but the high cost of pest management remains the key hindrance," said an official. Sharanjit Singh from Mann Khera village in Mansa district said that in 2024, several farmers in the southwest region of Punjab used brackish water for rice cultivation, which will adversely impact the soil quality....