Assertion: The yield of cotton is very low in Maharashtra.
Reasoning: In Maharashtra cotton is grown in irrigated areas.

Assertion (A) is true but Reasoning (R) is not correct.

The correct answer is Option 3:Assertion (A) is true but Reasoning (R) is not correct.

Assertion: The yield of cotton is very low in Maharashtra. True – Cotton yield in Maharashtra is comparatively low. One of the major reasons is that much of the cotton is grown in rainfed (non-irrigated) areas, leading to water stress and crop failure, especially in drought years.

Reasoning: In Maharashtra cotton is grown in irrigated areas. Incorrect – This statement is factually wrong. In reality, most cotton in Maharashtra is grown in rainfed areas, particularly in regions like Vidarbha and Marathwada, which lack sufficient irrigation. This is precisely why the yield is low and farmers are vulnerable.

"India ranks second in the world in the production of cotton after China. Cotton occupies about 4.7 per cent of total cropped area in the country. There are three cotton growing areas, i.e. parts of Punjab, Haryana and northern Rajasthan in north-west, Gujarat and Maharashtra in the west and plateaus of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in south. Leading producers of this crop are Gujarat, Maharashtra and Telangana Per hectare output of cotton is high under irrigated conditions in north-western region of the country. Its yield is very low in Maharashtra where it is grown under rainfed conditions."