Even as farmers in Vidarbha continue to kill themselves, experts fear an agrarian crisis is sprouting in the farmlands of Beed district. Cotton cultivation in the district has seen a steep rise, which agriculturists say, may not be in the best interests of farmers. Between 2004 and 2011, drought-stricken Beed in Marathwada recorded a 104% increase in area under cotton cultivation. For the same period, the area under rabi Jowar — Beed's dominant crop — fell 41%. The area under cotton went from 1.61 lakh hectares to 3.31 lakh hectares in seven years, while area under jowar reduced from 2.60 lakh hectares to 1.53 lakh hectares, according to data official data.