Which of the following country was the leading producer of cotton in 2017?

India China Egypt Pakistan

China

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.