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Dry Spell Puts Soygaon’s Cotton and Soybean Crops Under Stress as Farmers Await RainA prolonged dry spell during August and September is affecting Kharif crops in Soygaon taluka, despite cumulative rainfall reaching 109% of the average so far. The shortage of timely rain during critical flowering and crop-development stages has raised concerns over crop yields.Farmers are reporting shedding of cotton squares (flower buds), poor development of maize cobs and problems with soybean pod formation.This year, Kharif sowing in the taluka covered 42,485 hectares, including 28,206 hectares of cotton, 6,693 hectares of maize and 4,258 hectares of soybean.Rainfall distribution has been highly uneven. June received 100% of normal rainfall and July recorded 197%, but rainfall fell to 55% of normal in August and only 34% in September. Among revenue circles, Jarandi received 139% and Soygaon 134% of normal rainfall, while Banoti recorded 88% and Savaldbara 81%.Under the guidance of Taluka Agriculture Officer Bharat Kasar, agriculture officials are visiting farms to assess crop conditions and provide farmers with on-site advice on protecting crops from further damage.With the crops at sensitive growth stages, farmers are now waiting for timely rainfall to support crop development and protect yields.read more :- PAU Bt 5 Cotton Yield Reaches 25.72 Quintals

A new public-sector Bt cotton variety has recorded a yield of 25.72 quintals/hectare in North India.Punjab Agricultural University's (PAU) 'PAU Bt 5' (also known as PBH Bt 21) is emerging as a significant new public-sector Bt cotton variety for irrigated cultivation across Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. Released in 2023, this variety was developed through 'pedigree selection' from the cross LH 2298 × PAU Bt 1.According to AICRP cotton trials conducted at five locations in the Northern Zone between 2019 and 2022, PAU Bt 5 recorded an average seed cotton yield of 2,572 kg/ha (i.e., 25.72 quintals/hectare). Its yield was 20.1% higher than PAU Bt 1 and 21.8% higher than PAU Bt 2, while it outperformed local check varieties by 8.18%.The variety has a maturity period of 160–165 days and a ginning outturn of 35.8%. Fiber testing recorded an Upper Half Mean Length of 26.2 mm, a Micronaire value of 4.9, and a fiber strength of 26.4 g/tex, indicating good spinning quality.Disease resistance is another key attribute. PAU Bt 5 is moderately resistant to the cotton leaf curl virus and resistant to fungal foliar leaf spot and bacterial leaf blight.This variety is also notable for originating from India's public breeding system. With a seed cotton yield of approximately 2.6 tonnes per hectare in coordinated trials and specific adaptability to irrigated conditions in the northern region, PAU Bt 5 adds another public-sector-developed option to the region's Bt cotton portfolio.read more :- The rupee opened at 95.75 against the dollar, strengthening by 7 paise.

The rupee had closed at 95.82 on Monday, whereas today it opened at 95.75 per dollar, marking a gain of 7 paise.The BSE Sensex was trading 86.02 points (0.11%) higher at 74,945.01, while the NSE Nifty 50 rose by 42.25 points (0.18%) to trade at 23,458.00.Read More :- Rupee Steady at 95.82 Against Dollar; Sensex, Nifty Close Higher

The rupee closed unchanged against the dollar at the 95.82 level this evening.Sensex, Nifty Closing | Nifty rises for the fourth consecutive session, closes above 23,400The Indian stock market recorded significant gains on Monday. The Nifty rose by 68 points to 23,414, while the Sensex climbed 564 points to reach 74,859. The Nifty continued its upward trend for the fourth consecutive session.Read more:- Sharad Pawar Makes 9 Demands to CM Fadnavis Amid Drought-Like Conditions in Maharashtra

The rupee had closed at 95.87 on Friday, whereas today it opened at 95.82 per dollar, marking a gain of 5 paise.Indian stock market benchmarks opened with gains on Monday. Initially, the Sensex rose by 350 points, while the Nifty saw a gain of just 25 points.Read More :-  CCI Cuts Cotton Selling Price by ₹1,600–₹2,000 per Candy This Week

CCI DECREASE ITS COTTON SELLING PRICE BY ₹1,600–₹2,000/CANDY THIS WEEK🚨The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) decrease its cotton selling prices by around ₹1,600–₹2,000 per candy during the week ending September 18, 2026, indicating continued buying activity from domestic textile mills and cotton traders.During the week, CCI sold approximately 2,000 bales of cotton from the 2025–26 crop through its auctions. 📊 Day-Wise CCI Auction PerformanceSeptember 15, 2026 (Tuesday)CCI sold 1,500 bales. Mills purchased 1,100 bales, while traders bought 400 bales.September 16, 2026 (Wednesday)A total of 400 bales were sold, including 100 bales purchased by mills and 300 bales by traders.September 17, 2026 (Thursday)CCI sold 100 bales, with all 100 bales purchased by mills.📅 September 18, 2026 (Friday)No bales were sold in either auction session.Following the latest auctions, CCI's cumulative cotton sales for the 2025–26 season** have reached approximately 94.29 lakh bales.

Drought-like conditions in Maharashtra: Sharad Pawar makes 9 major demands to CM FadnavisA lack of rainfall in several parts of Maharashtra has compounded the woes of farmers. Kharif crops such as soybean, cotton, pearl millet (bajra), maize, tur (pigeon pea), moong (green gram), and urad (black gram) are reportedly suffering damage, alongside an increasing incidence of pest attacks and crop diseases. Amidst this situation, senior NCP leader and MP Sharad Pawar has written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, demanding the immediate implementation of relief measures for farmers, agricultural laborers, and rural areas.Pawar has demanded that a drought be declared in severely affected talukas without waiting for the completion of formal assessment procedures. He has sought financial assistance of at least ₹50,000 per hectare for farmers and special aid of ₹25,000 for agricultural laborer families dependent on farming.He called for the immediate implementation of a farm loan waiver scheme and the provision of fresh crop loans. He also demanded that the incentive subsidy provided to farmers who regularly repay their loans be increased from ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh. Furthermore, he urged the inclusion of farmers who defaulted this year—after having taken crop loans for the 2025-26 cycle—in the loan waiver scheme.Pawar demanded the retrospective implementation of the 'one-rupee crop insurance scheme' and the immediate disbursement of the ₹17,000-per-hectare aid announced for losses caused by unseasonal rains last year.Additionally, he demanded the initiation of water conservation works under the Employment Guarantee Scheme in drought-affected talukas, the provision of water tankers for orchards, arrangements for drinking water and fodder, and the provision of essential services for livestock.Pawar also called for the regulation of load-shedding, the establishment of control rooms at state and district levels, and a complete waiver of school and college fees in drought-affected talukas.read more :- Indian Rupee Falls 14 Paise to Close at 95.87 Against US Dollar.

The Indian rupee weakened by 14 paise against the US dollar on Friday, closing at ₹95.87 per dollar.The domestic currency opened at ₹95.73 against the US dollar and fluctuated throughout the trading session. It eventually closed at ₹95.87, down 14 paise from the opening level.At the 3:30 pm post-CAS close, the Sensex fell 20 points to 74,294.96, while the Nifty gained 75.80 points to 23,346.40. Market breadth remained strong, with 2,531 shares advancing against 1,452 declines.read more :-Cotton Procurement Begins in Jamthi Maharashtra, First-Day Price Reaches ₹8,101 per Quintal

Cotton procurement begins in Jamthi, Maharashtra; price of ₹8,101 per quintal recorded on day onePrivate traders have commenced cotton procurement in Bodwad, Jamthi, and surrounding areas. Crop conditions have deteriorated due to heavy rainfall over the past few days, and the cotton crop is not yet fully ready in many farmers' fields. Farmers are struggling to save their crops amidst these challenging circumstances, yet they remain hopeful that cotton prices will be favorable this year.Meanwhile, procurement by private traders began in Jamthi. On the first day, Santosh Dhangar, a farmer from Yevti, arrived to sell 50 kg of cotton.Upon the arrival of the season's first cotton in Jamthi, private trader Jitendra Gurubhaiya and Devidas Patil (a driver for the Agriculture Center) honored farmer Santosh Dhangar by presenting him with a shawl and a coconut.The price of cotton on the first day stood at ₹8,101 per quintal.read more :- Rupee opened 20 paise stronger at 95.73 against the dollar.

On September 18, the Indian rupee opened at 95.73, up 20 paise against the dollar, while on Thursday  it closed at 95.93.BSE Sensex gained 247.36 pts or 0.33% to 74,561.95 at 9.16 am after opening at 74,575.24 from 74,314.59 previous close, and Nifty 50 was up 71.80 pts or 0.31% to 23,342.40.Read More :-   21 Cotton Testing Labs to Be Modernized in India Under ₹38.72 Crore Project

21 cotton testing labs in India to be modernized, ₹38.72 crore projectNew Delhi: Amid efforts to make India a global cotton and textile hub, the central government is working to modernize cotton fiber testing facilities in the country.According to two government officials, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is accelerating the process of modernizing 21 labs located in major cotton-producing regions.Under this project worth approximately ₹38.72 crore, these labs will be equipped with modern testing equipment. These will be used to assess the quality and impurities of cotton fiber.Under this project, which is being overseen by the Consumer Affairs Department, labs operated by the Textiles Committee, Powerloom Service Centers, and the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) will be upgraded.This initiative aims to strengthen the testing capacity and quality assessment infrastructure for cotton fiber in India. Modern testing facilities will help in more effectively assessing cotton quality.The government is focusing on making India's cotton and textile sectors more competitive globally. Modernizing testing infrastructure is part of efforts to strengthen Indian cotton quality and textile exports.read more :- Indian Rupee higher 08 Paise to Close at ₹95.93 Against US Dollar