Cotton output in Punjab and Haryana may fall 40% due to whitefly-pest attack, which causing extensive damage to cotton. The combined output of cotton in Punjab and Haryana is expected to be 22 lakh bales as against 39 lakh bales last season, which will be over 40% less.
Cotton output in Punjab is estimated to be about 7 lakh bales as against production of 14 lakh bales in last season. Similarly, cotton production is likely to be about 15 lakh bales in neighbouring Haryana compared with last season's output of about 25 lakh bales.