I will not grow cotton anymore. I have two children to feed, and I just can’t risk losses on my farm,” says Manorama Santosh Ahir of Naygaon village, Buldhana district. ”I will plant jowar (the staple millet in the region) and tur. Cotton costs too much. One needs seeds, labour, pesticides and fertilisers, it’s an expensive proposition. And it requires so much attention.”