The area sown under kharif cotton so far in the country in 2017-18 was up 32.7% on year at 893,000 hectares. The normal area under the fibre in the corresponding period is 553,000 hectares. Cotton area in this kharif season is higher as farmers earned higher returns from the crop in the last year. In 2016-17 (Jul-Jun), the acreage under cotton had fallen 12% to 10.5 million ha on fears of pink bollworm infestation and whitefly attack, which had damaged a large quantity of the crop in 2015. Sowing of the cotton for the kharif season has commenced so far in Haryana with 463,000 ha area planted, Punjab with 280,000 ha, Rajasthan with 70,000 ha, and Karnataka with 50,000 ha.