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Early trading sees the rupee gain 1 paisa to 84.49 against the US dollar.Sensex was above 77,300, Nifty50 was near 23,400.BSE Sensex and Nifty50, the Indian equity benchmark indices, opened in green on Friday. At 9:17 AM, BSE Sensex was trading at 77,329.15, up 173 points or 0.22%. Nifty50 was at 23,403.50, up 54 points or 0.23%.Read More:> Andhra Pradesh cotton farmers grapple with delayed procurement and price cuts amid harsh weather

Andhra Pradesh cotton growers struggle with delayed procurement and price cutbacks despite bad weatherCotton farmers in Andhra Pradesh are facing a growing crisis due to delayed procurement and price cuts, aggravated by unfavourable weather conditions. The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) has set up 31 procurement centres across the state, but only 20 are operational, leaving farmers in many areas unable to sell their produce.After suffering losses last season due to fake seeds and falling prices, farmers had hoped for better returns this year. However, heavy rains have significantly affected the quality of the crop, adding to their woes. The minimum support price (MSP) set by the government for cotton is ₹7,521, attracting farmers to CCI centres in search of a fair price.*Rejection due to moisture levels*Prolonged rains and cool temperatures have led to very high moisture content in harvested cotton, with levels exceeding the acceptable 8%-12% limit. As a result, CCI officials have rejected a large amount of produce, leaving farmers unable to sell their produce at MSP rates. Many farmers are forced to sell their cotton to middlemen at much lower prices."It costs us more than Rs 15,000 to transport cotton to the procurement centre. If our produce is rejected, this cost doubles, further increasing our financial burden," lamented K Raghava Rao, a farmer from Medikonduru.Allegations of deliberate delayFarmers from Kurantula village have accused the local CCI officials of delaying procurement citing server problems and making them wait for hours. They expressed their disappointment to Union Minister of State for Rural Development Pemmasani Chandrasekhar during his visit to the procurement centre.Government interventionResponding to farmers' complaints, the minister raised the issue with Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh. Following this, Central Marketing Director Vijay Kuradagi has been appointed as the special inspection officer to investigate the matter.Farmers are now requesting the government to address their concerns by either increasing the permissible moisture limit or adjusting procurement rates for weather-affected crops. Without intervention, they fear falling further prey to middlemen and deepening financial losses.Read More :-  Cotton prices jump amid concerns of lower production in 2024/25

Cotton prices rise on concerns about decreased output in 2024/25Cotton candy prices rose 0.2% to close at ₹54,480 on fears of a reduction in cotton production in India. The USDA has lowered its forecast for India's 2024/25 cotton production by 7.4% to 30.72 million bales, citing excessive rainfall and pest infestation. Cotton acreage fell by 9% to 11.29 million hectares, as many farmers in Gujarat have started cultivating peanuts, which gives them better returns.This reduction is expected to increase India's cotton imports by up to 2.5 million bales, significantly higher than last year's 1.75 million bales, while exports may fall to 1.8 million bales from 2.85 million bales.Globally, the USDA has raised cotton production estimates by 200,000 bales, with growth in China, Brazil and Argentina offsetting declines in the US and Spain. US cotton production is estimated at 14.2 million bales, down by more than 300,000 bales due to Hurricane Helen. US cotton exports are also expected to fall by 11.5 million bales due to weak global demand. The final estimate of worldwide stocks is 76.3 million bales, slightly lower than the previous forecast.Spot prices in Rajkot, a major cotton trading hub, fell 0.41% to ₹25,814.95.Read More :-  Lower Cotton Projections Raise Concerns in Textile Sector

The rupee fell 7 paise versus the dollar to settle at Rs 84.49 this eveningOn the fourth trading day of the week, the Sensex closed with a huge decline of 422 points at 77,155.79 points, while the Nifty slipped 168 points to close at 23,349.90 points.Midcap stocks also witnessed a volatile environment throughout the day. Nifty Midcap 50 closed at 15,167.55 points with a gain of 105 points till the market closed.Read More :-  Lower Cotton Projections Raise Concerns in Textile Sector

Concerns in the Textile Sector Are Raised by Lower Cotton ProjectionsThe textile sector is voicing apprehensions over a dip in cotton production this year, driven by reduced sowing areas. Cotton associations estimate India’s cotton output at 302 lakh bales (1 bale equals 170 kg).  In Gujarat, a key cotton-growing state, cultivation has shrunk to 23.71 lakh hectares, down from 26.82 lakh hectares last year. Industry experts stress the urgent need to introduce new seed varieties to boost productivity, given the state’s robust ginning and spinning infrastructure.  Agricultural department data shows Gujarat’s cotton cultivation area fluctuating in recent years, from 25.49 lakh hectares in 2022 to 26.82 lakh hectares in 2023, before falling to 23.71 lakh hectares in 2024. A senior agriculture department official explained, “Crop damage from pests has lowered productivity and delayed arrivals. Many farmers have switched to groundnut this year for better returns.”  Reflecting this shift, groundnut cultivation in Gujarat surged to 19.08 lakh hectares, up from 16.35 lakh hectares the previous year.Read More :>  CCI Begins Cotton Procurement at Minimum Support Price in Five States

Due to fluctuating crude prices, the rupee flattens at 84.42 against the US dollar.The rupee turned flat at 84.42 against the US dollar in early trade on Thursday amid volatile crude oil prices and lackluster sentiment in the domestic equity markets.Read More :> Telangana Farmers Protest Over Cotton Purchases Falling Below MSP 

This evening, the rupee fell 3 paise versus the dollar to settle at Rs 84.42The 30-share BSE benchmark Sensex closed up 239 points, or 0.31%, at 77,578. The broader NSE Nifty closed up 65 points, or 0.28%, at 23,518. During the session, the Sensex touched an intraday high of 78,451, while the Nifty 50 touched 23,780.Read More :-  Telangana Farmers Protest Over Cotton Purchases Falling Below MSP

Early trading saw the rupee gain 2 paise to 84.40 against the US dollar.The rupee rose 2 paise to 84.40 against the US dollar in early trade on Tuesday amid a recovery in domestic equity markets and a weaker American currency against major Asian rivals. Read More :> Telangana Farmers Protest Over Cotton Purchases Falling Below MSP

Sensex down 240 pts, Nifty ends below 23500 Among sectoral indices, the Nifty IT index led the losses, falling more than 2 percent. Energy and Healthcare were other major losers, falling nearly 1 percent. Nifty Metals index was the top gainer, but pared gains to 2 percent. Nifty Auto, Nifty FMCG, and Nifty Bank posted modest gains of 0.3-0.7 percent each.This evening, the rupee closed at 84.39 against the dollar without any change.Readmore:-  Telangana Farmers Protest Over Cotton Purchases Falling Below MSP

Early trading saw the rupee rise 8 paise to 84.38 against the US dollarBSE's Sensex fell 156.72 points to 77,423.59 in early trade. NSE's Nifty fell 64.25 points to 23,468.45.Read More :-  Telangana Farmers Protest Over Cotton Purchases Falling Below MSP

Telangana Farmers Protest as Cotton Prices Fall Below MSPCotton farmers in Telangana have staged protests over declining prices, alleging that traders in the Khammam agricultural market yard are purchasing cotton below the government-declared Minimum Support Price (MSP).Farmers claim that even Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) is not offering the expected support, with prices falling significantly short of the MSP of ₹7,521 per quintal. According to growers, the highest price received was around ₹6,850 per quintal, and that too by only a few farmers, while many were forced to sell at even lower rates of ₹6,400 per quintal.Expressing disappointment, farmers said they had anticipated prices between ₹8,000 and ₹11,000 per quintal. The current situation, they argue, is leading to heavy financial losses.Adding to their concerns, farmers have accused traders of manipulating prices by manually assessing the moisture content of cotton instead of using standard machines. They allege that a trader syndicate is influencing rates unfairly.Despite intervention by District Collector Muzamil Khan, who visited the market yard and warned traders against violating MSP norms, farmers claim that the ground situation remains unchanged.Meanwhile, K. Praveen Kumar Reddy, Secretary of the Khammam cotton market yard, stated that notices have been issued to traders and further action will be taken after reviewing their responses.Currently, around 45,000 bags of cotton are arriving daily at the Khammam market yard from across the erstwhile district, intensifying pressure on procurement and pricing systems.Read More :-  CCI Begins Cotton Procurement at Minimum Support Price in Five States