Agriculture

Gujarat Gets Rs 134.80 Crore Under Cotton Productivity Mission to Lift Output and Farmer Income

By TestNeeti Editorial TeamPublished Saturday, 11 July 2026 2 min readSource: Indian MastermindsArticle 11 of 12

Gujarat has received Rs 134.80 crore for the current year under the Centre's Cotton Productivity Mission, aimed at increasing cotton production, reducing import dependence and improving farmers' income through modern practices. State Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani said the mission runs for the period 2026-27 to 2030-31 and will cover more than one lakh hectares across 21 cotton-producing districts of Gujarat. Farmers adopting close spacing technology (90 cm x 30 cm) will get Rs 14,000 per hectare input assistance, while those following Integrated Crop Management (90 cm x 60 cm) will get up to Rs 7,500 per hectare. A farmer can avail benefits for a maximum of 2 hectares in a year, and must use government-approved Bt cotton seeds. Applications opened through the i-Khedut portal from July 10, 2026.

Key Facts & Details

9 points

1
Gujarat has been allocated Rs 134.80 crore for the current year under the Centre's Cotton Productivity Mission.
2
The mission runs for 2026-27 to 2030-31 and targets over one lakh hectares across 21 cotton-producing districts of Gujarat.
3
Farmers using close spacing technology (90 cm x 30 cm) get Rs 14,000 per hectare input assistance.
4
Those adopting Integrated Crop Management (90 cm x 60 cm) get up to Rs 7,500 per hectare.
5
A farmer can avail benefits for a maximum of 2 hectares per year and must use government-approved Bt cotton seeds.
6
Applications opened through the i-Khedut portal from July 10, 2026, per Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani.

Deep Dive

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The mission aims to reduce India's cotton import dependency while strengthening Gujarat's position as a major cotton-producing state.
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To qualify, farmers must complete registration and cultivate approved or certified cotton varieties following specified practices.
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The government will run special training programmes on improved cultivation techniques, scientific crop management and efficient input use.

Exam Focus

How much has Gujarat been allocated under the Cotton Productivity Mission, and what is the maximum per-hectare input assistance?

Exam Relevance & Angle

State-level allocations under central agricultural schemes are testable agri and scheme GA items, especially the scheme name, the state, the amount and the assistance rates. The concrete hooks here are the Cotton Productivity Mission, Gujarat's Rs 134.80 crore allocation, the Rs 14,000 per hectare rate and the i-Khedut portal delivery mechanism.

Target Exams

SBI POIBPS PONABARD Grade ASSC CGLRRB NTPCState PCS

Background & Context

The Cotton Productivity Mission is a Centre-led initiative to raise cotton yields, promote modern cultivation and cut India's reliance on cotton imports over a five-year horizon. India is among the world's largest cotton producers, and Gujarat is consistently one of its leading cotton-growing states, making it a key implementation ground. Bt cotton — genetically modified to resist bollworm pests — dominates Indian cotton cultivation. Close spacing and Integrated Crop Management (ICM) are agronomic techniques that raise plant density and improve resource use to boost productivity. Gujarat delivers farm-scheme benefits through its i-Khedut portal, an online platform for farmer registration and assistance applications.