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CAI President Atul Ghanatra Highlights Key Cotton Market Trends and Duty-Free Import ExtensionThe President of the Cotton Association of India (CAI), Atul Ghanatra, shared key updates on the current cotton market scenario, including import trends, minimum support prices (MSP), and the impact of the government’s extension of duty-free cotton imports.Duty-Free Cotton Imports Surge :- The government’s decision to extend the duty-free import window until December 31, 2025, has given spinning mills a major opportunity to import cotton at zero duty.With domestic cotton prices remaining on the higher side, Indian spinning mills have taken advantage of the situation, importing an estimated 30 lakh bales of cotton ove the coming three months (October to December).Of this total, spinning mills and consumers accounted for about 20 lakh bales, while multinational companies (MNCs) and traders import to we expected around 5–7 lakh bales.“We expect total shipments of around 30 lakh bales to would have arrived in the coming three months,” Ghanatra said.However, uncertainty remains over whether the government will extend the duty-free period further. “Spinning mills are expecting at least a one-month extension, but nothing is confirmed yet,” he added.Farmers Protected by Higher MSP :-The Minimum Support Price (MSP) for cotton has been increased to ₹8,110 per quintal, up from ₹7,500 last year — a hike of ₹600.“This increase ensures that farmers remain protected,” Ghanatra noted.Last year, the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) procured around 100 lakh bales, roughly one-third of India’s total cotton crop of 312 lakh bales. About 30% of farmers benefited from MSP purchases, while the remaining sold their produce in open markets.This year, CCI is yet to begin large-scale procurement, as officials are waiting for moisture levels in cotton to drop to 8–12%. Recent rains across major cotton-growing regions have delayed this process.“We expect 30–35% of farmers to benefit from MSP procurement this year, while others may get between ₹7,000 and ₹7,500 per quintal, similar to last year,” he said.Market Outlook: Price Pressure Likely to Continue :- According to CAI estimates, India began the current cotton year on October 1 with an opening stock of 61 lakh bales. With an expected new crop production of 315 lakh bales and potential imports of up to 50 lakh bales by September 2026, the market is likely to face continued price pressure.On the global front, ICE futures are trading around 64–65 cents per pound, converting to approximately ₹45,000 per candy, which is considered to be very low side compared to last year.“Until international prices improve, the Indian cotton market will continue to face downward pressure,” Ghanatra concluded.read more :- Farmers agree, government purchase of cotton to begin from November 1

Farmers' demands have been agreed upon, and government cotton procurement will begin on November 1st.Bhiwani. Farmers' demands have been agreed upon, and government cotton procurement will begin on November 1st. This decision was taken on Monday at a meeting between the district administration and farmers' organizations chaired by Deputy Commissioner Sahil Gupta. Representatives of the All India Kisan Sabha and the labor organization CITU participated in the meeting. The various demands contained in the memorandum submitted on October 16th were discussed in detail.The district administration had invited an 11-member delegation from both organizations. The delegation included Kisan Sabha District President Ramfal Deshwal, Vice President Comrade Om Prakash, Dayanand Poonia, District Secretary Master Jagroshan, Joint Secretary Dr. Balbir Thakran, and Meva Singh Arya of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Nain Group).The meeting primarily addressed the issue of flooding and drainage of waterlogged fields in three dozen villages in the district due to overflow. Farmers stated that sowing of the Rabi crop would not be possible until the waterlogging was removed. They demanded the administration take concrete steps for early evacuation. They also demanded compensation of Rs. 1 lakh per acre for crop loss, compensation for laborers, and compensation for house damage.The farmers demanded the government purchase of millet, cotton, mung beans, and paddy at the support price, the availability of DAP and urea fertilizers as per demand, a ban on black marketing, adequate compensation for power towers and oil pipelines, the release of pending electricity connections, and the prevention of malpractices in crop cutting. They also demanded the immediate implementation of 200 days of MNREGA work at a rate of Rs. 600 per day in flood-affected villages, and an investigation into the Rs. 350 crore insurance fraud and the return of the entire amount, including interest, to the farmers.Deputy Commissioner Sahil Gupta directed all departmental officials to resolve the problems faced by farmers and laborers promptly. He also directed the Roadways Department to issue orders to private bus owners to provide fare concessions to senior citizens and students as per regulations. The DC also directed that tubewell connections be issued on priority and that the Electricity Corporation immediately replace burned-out transformers at its own expense. Agreeing to most of the farmers' demands, he announced that government cotton procurement would begin on November 1st. Farmer leader Santosh Deshwal, Vijay Gothra of the Chaudhary Devi Lal Manch, Ramotar Baliali of the Kisan Sabha, and Subedar Dhanpat Obra were also present on the occasion.read more :- CCI-Maharashtra Federation to jointly procure cotton

CCI and Maharashtra Marketing Federation to Jointly Procure CottonMaharashtra: Nearly five lakh farmers in the state have registered through the Cotton Farmer App for this season’s procurement. However, cotton arrivals remain low, and procurement is yet to begin, said Lalit Kumar Gupta, Chairman of the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI). The Maharashtra State Cooperative Marketing Federation (MSCMF) will partner with the CCI for procurement operations, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU).At present, cotton prices in the open market range between ₹7,000 and ₹7,500 per quintal. With arrivals expected to increase, the CCI has planned to establish 150 procurement centers across Maharashtra this season.To better estimate arrivals and ensure transparency, the CCI has made registration on the Cotton Farmer Portal mandatory. About five lakh farmers have already registered, and once local market committees verify their details, they will be allotted time slots to bring their produce to the designated procurement centers. Farmers will be able to sell their cotton on any day of the week according to their assigned slot.This year’s procurement process marks a renewed collaboration between the CCI and the MSCMF. Two years ago, the Federation had purchased cotton from the CCI on a commission basis. However, a pending payment of ₹90 crore from the central government—related to an interest differential—has delayed progress. Follow-up efforts have been underway for two years, with the Chief Minister and the State Marketing Minister pursuing resolution. According to Federation sources, once the issue is settled, the process of opening procurement centers will move forward. Of the proposed 150 centers, around 20 to 22 are expected to be operated by the Marketing Federation, pending completion of technical formalities, said Prasannajit Patil, Vice President of MSCMF, Mumbai.“More than five lakh farmers have registered. While cotton has started arriving at CCI centers in other parts of the country, there have been no arrivals in Maharashtra yet. The Cotton Kisan App will help track arrivals accurately,”— Lalit Kumar Gupta, Chairman, Cotton Corporation of India“The registration process on the Cotton Kisan App is simple. However, many farmers have submitted multiple registrations using the same documents. It’s important to consolidate these into a single verified application to save time for market committee staff. The process needs to be simplified,”— Sameer Pendke, Secretary, Market Committee, Wardharead more :-  Cyclone Montha likely to hit Kakinada coast today.

Andhra Pradesh: Cyclone Montha headed towards Kakinada, likely to hit the coast by midnight today.KAKINADA: Cyclonic storm Montha in Bay of Bengal was on Monday headed towards Andhra Pradesh, where it’s expected to cross the coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam after making a landfall near Kakinada around midnight on Tuesday before moving towards southern Odisha.(SIS)The season’s first major storm, currently centred over west-central Bay of Bengal and moving northnorthwestward, is expected to intensify into a “severe cyclonic storm” before making landfall with wind speeds of 90-100 kilometres per hour and gusts up to 110 kmph.Andhra Pradesh govt has put the districts of Kakinada, Konaseema, West Godavari, Eluru and East Godavari on high alert. CM N Chandrababu Naidu has asked officials to prevent any cyclone-related deaths.(SIS)Civil supplies minister Nadendla Manhor, the incharge minister for Eluru, who held a review meeting at Kakinada collectorate on Monday, said 269 rehabilitation centres have been set up with all facilities, while 30 NDRF and 50 SDRF teams have been pressed into service. Earthmovers, tractors and generators with enough fuel stocks have been kept ready.Essential goods and medicines have been kept ready, and holidays have been declared for all educational institutions till Wednesday. All fishing boats have been recalled from the sea," he said.(SIS)While Andhra Pradesh will bear the brunt of the storm, with red and orange alerts issued for 23 districts, the south-coastal districts of neighbouring Odisha are likely to witness heavy rainfall and strong winds. The northern districts of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, are expected to receive heavy rains.Meanwhile, in Odisha, the state govt on Monday evacuated 3,000 people from vulnerable areas as the storm triggered rain across Bhubaneswar and southern parts of the state.Among those evacuated are 1,496 women in advanced stages of pregnancy, who have been shifted to hospitals.As many as 140 teams from NDRF, ODRAF and fire services personnel have been deployed, while schools and anganwadi centres have been shut in eight red zone districts till Thursday.(SIS)Authorities are closely monitoring Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri districts for possible landslides.read more :- Konda Surekha appeals to farmers to bring good quality cotton

Telengana : Konda Surekha Asks Farmers to Bring Good Cotton for Best PriceWarangal: Endowment minister Konda Surekha urged the farmers to bring high-quality cotton to the market to secure the best price and assured them that every bag of cotton brought will be purchased by the government inaugurating the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) procurement centre established by the marketing department here at the Enumamula Market Yard in Warangal on Monday. Speaking on the occasion, minister Surekha highlighted the government’s efforts to prevent farmers from losing money due to moisture content, announcing that a committee has been formed to inspect moisture levels which influence the price. She said that the Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and agriculture minister Tummala Nageshwara Rao are taking all necessary steps to ensure hassle-free procurement of not just cotton, but also paddy and maize.She instructed the officials to use the moisture meters available with agriculture officers to test the cotton moisture at the farmer’s fields to prevent any harassment. The minister issued a stern warning that the government will take strict action against anyone attempting to cause losses to cotton farmers in the name of moisture. The government has set the MSP at Rs 8,100 per quintal for cotton, with a quality standard that moisture content should not exceed 8 per cent. Farmers were advised to dry their cotton at home to ensure quality before bringing it to the CCI centres. Payments will be directly deposited into the farmer’s bank account within three to five days of sale, she added. The minister said that to facilitate a smooth selling process, the government has arranged for online registration through agricultural extension officers (AEOs) and introduced the Kisan Kapas App. For any issues, farmers can contact the toll-free numbers 1800 599 5779 or the WhatsApp number 889728 11111.read more :- Rupee opens 08 paise down at 88.32

Rupee opens 08 paise down at 88.32Indian rupee opened lower at 88.32 per dollar on Tuesday versus previous close of 88.24.read more :- Telangana demands raising the moisture limit in cotton to 20%

Telangana Urges Centre to Raise Cotton Moisture Limit to 20%The Telangana government has urged the central government to raise the permissible upper limit of moisture content in cotton from the current 12% to 20%, citing the state’s prevailing weather conditions during the harvest season.In a letter to Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh, Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said that due to high humidity in October and November, the moisture content in freshly picked cotton naturally ranges between 12% and 20%. However, as per existing norms, the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) procures cotton only with moisture content between 8% and 12%.“Because of this restriction, farmers are unable to sell their produce at the Minimum Support Price (MSP),” Rao wrote, appealing to the Centre to raise the upper limit to 20% to ensure fair procurement.The minister also noted that although total cotton output in Telangana is likely to decline marginally this year, global cotton prices have also weakened, putting additional pressure on farmers’ incomes. He expressed hope that the CCI would continue procurement at MSP during the ongoing marketing season.Cotton is cultivated on 18.59 lakh hectares across Telangana, with an estimated production of 28.29 lakh tonnes this year. The state ranks third in cotton cultivation nationally—after Maharashtra (38.42 lakh hectares) and Gujarat (20.81 lakh hectares)—followed by Rajasthan (6.28 lakh hectares) and Andhra Pradesh (4.13 lakh hectares).read more :- Rupee fell 38 paise to close at 88.24 per dollar

The Indian rupee on monday lower 38  paise to close at 88.24 per dollar, while it opened at 87.86 in the morning.At close, the Sensex was up 566.96 points or 0.67 percent at 84,778.84, and the Nifty was up 170.9 points or 0.66 percent at 25,966.05. About 1925 shares advanced, 1994 shares declined, and 155 shares unchanged.read more :- "Farmers are angry as procurement at MSP has not started in Suratgarh."

Cotton Arrivals at Suratgarh Grain Market: Farmers Dissatisfied With the Non-Start of Procurement at MSPSuratgarh's new grain market is currently witnessing a heavy influx of cotton, but procurement at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) has not yet begun, causing concern among farmers. The price of cotton in the market is currently hovering between ₹7,000 and ₹7,500 per quintal.According to agricultural experts, the MSP for cotton for the 2025-26 Kharif season has been set at ₹7,710 per quintal for medium-staple and ₹8,110 per quintal for long-staple. Farmers believe that if procurement at MSP had begun earlier, the market could have seen a further boom.This year, Bt cotton sowing in the Suratgarh area has increased compared to last year. While canal blockades caused water shortages in most tehsils of the district, farmers in Suratgarh used tube wells to irrigate their fields. Of the 10 cotton factories in the region, 6-7 have begun operations.Assistant Agriculture Officer Mahendra Kuldiya stated,This year, production in the Suratgarh region has increased by one to two quintals per acre. Compared to last year, cotton was sown on 32,240 hectares, an increase of 7,681 hectares.Farmers Netram, Surjaram, and Kashiram say that the CCI is promising to begin procurement on Monday, but if it had been earlier, farmers could have received an additional benefit of 500-600 rupees per quintal. Factory operators Bhanwarlal Sharma and Harish Kumar say that this year's season is likely to be good.The market receives 1,800 to 2,300 quintals of cotton daily, which is going directly to the factory. Meanwhile, CCI Quality Inspector Rakesh Meena said that procurement at the government rate is likely to begin on Monday.read more :- "Sharp decline in cotton production: A new challenge for the agriculture sector"

A Sharp Decline in Cotton ProductionShri Kshetra Mahur, Mahur taluka: Excessive rainfall, polluted environment, and the outbreak of various diseases have led to a sharp decline in cotton production, shattering the dreams of farmers who dreamed of a good season and a healthy livelihood. The CCI procurement center has not yet opened. Private traders are taking advantage of this opportunity and purchasing the farmers' white gold at extremely low prices.Heavy rains in Mahur taluka in August caused cotton leaves to turn yellow at peak season, causing excessive flower and bud shedding. Strong winds, coupled with the rain, uprooted more than half the trees, causing buds to fall in their final stages. These factors have led to a sharp decline in cotton production. Due to the Diwali festival and the CCI's failure to open its cotton procurement center at the required time, private traders are purchasing cotton at exorbitant prices, which farmers are complaining about.I have a 7-acre farm in survey number 154 in Papalwadi Shivrat and I have spent Rs 1.5 lakh on cotton and the income is only Rs 65,000, so nothing has been done,” said farmer Shiv Ramdhan Jadhav. *Will the government start CCI centres to buy cotton only from private traders, is an angry question raised by progressive farmer Prashant Bhoopi Jahagirdar.read more :- "The Cotton Revolution: Breaking the Fabric of India"

Threads of Change: Reweaving the Fabric of India's Cotton SectorGlobal warming-induced climate change is exacerbating India's cotton crisis, increasing pest attacks and disease outbreaks, leading to declining yields and productivity. India's cotton production for the 2024-25 marketing year is projected to reach its lowest level in more than a decade and a half at 29.4 million bales. This continues a decade-long decline in production from the peak of 39.8 million bales achieved in 2013-14.Climate change has disrupted weather patterns and altered temperatures. Changing weather and rising temperatures have created conditions where pests, especially cotton's age-old enemy, the pink bollworm, can thrive. This has also weakened the crop's ability to resist such attacks.These factors are increasing the cost of cotton cultivation and reducing yields, creating a storm that is eroding the profits of cotton growers. These factors are pushing farmers toward more profitable alternatives, leading to a decline in cotton acreage, even in top cotton-producing states like Gujarat, and in turn, further fueling the decline of cotton production.Nearly 60 million people depend on the cotton industry as a source of income, so this sector is in dire need of attention. A holistic approach to crop protection that is proven effective, incorporates technology, significantly reduces crop losses, and ultimately brings farmers back to cotton cultivation could be the key to turning the cotton sector around.Integrated pest management can lead such an approach. Integrated pest management (IPM) offers a practical, future-ready, and sustainable solution to address the pest-related challenges facing cotton production. This approach combines multiple pest-management practices, such as biological, cultural, mechanical, and chemical methods, to manage pests in an ecologically balanced and economically viable manner.In contrast to traditional methods that rely heavily on chemical pesticides, IPM takes a more balanced approach, prioritizing sustainable techniques such as crop rotation and the use of natural predators, and using chemicals only when absolutely necessary.The benefits of IPM are proven. For example, rice farmers who adopted an IPM approach have seen yield increases of up to 40%. But IPM can only work to a certain extent. In today's challenging agricultural landscape, technology is crucial to combating pest threats. Artificial intelligence and drones help farmers detect pest and disease outbreaks before they spread to a large crop area.For example, drones can roam the fields and act as farmers' eyes, quickly scanning the cultivated area and accurately detecting any pest attacks or disease outbreaks.On the other hand, manual inspections for pest infestations in crops are both time- and labor-intensive, and the presence of pests is often detected when it's too late.Drones can also be used for spraying pesticides, making the process safer by reducing human exposure.Certainly, the government has recognized the need for a systematic change in the cotton cultivation sector and launched the National Cotton Productivity Mission (NCPM). The NCPM is a five-year mission aimed at halting the decline in cotton production and is designed as a springboard for the entire cotton ecosystem, starting from the farm level to milling operations and even exports.At the farm level, it aims to empower farmers by providing them with technical assistance to adopt a modern, technologically advanced, climate-friendly approach to cotton cultivation and crop protection. Furthermore, it aims to boost the textile sector and ultimately exports.The NCPM is in line with India's 5F vision of "farm to fiber, fiber to factory, factory to fashion, and fashion to foreign."To be successful, it requires private sector support. Private sector participation in the NCPM could revolutionize the cotton sector. It could provide the NCPM with the critical momentum that could take it from policy to reality.Simply put, India needs a cotton revival. A well-thought-out approach to pest management, resilient to today's challenges, combined with private sector participation in an ambitious NCPM, can help make this a reality.read more :- Farmers in Andhra Pradesh are in trouble due to falling cotton prices