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On Friday, the Indian rupee fell 13 paise to close at 89.98 per dollar, compared to its opening price of 89.85 in the morning.Closing Bell: Sensex closes 447 pts higher, Nifty ends near 26,200 after RBI rate cut; financials, IT gainread more :-  Trump tariffs: Trade talks crucial, US delegation to visit India next week

Trump tariffs: US team expected in India next week as trade pact talks enter crucial phaseA delegation of US officials is expected to visit India next week for another round of discussions on the proposed bilateral trade agreement, according to government sources. The dates are currently being finalised, and both sides are working to close the first tranche of the pact, which has become a priority amid widening trade tensions.“The team is likely to come next week. Dates are being finalised, and discussions are on,” one source told news agency PTI.This will be the second visit by US negotiators since Washington imposed a 25% tariff — along with an additional 25% penalty — on select Indian goods entering the American market, citing India’s purchases of Russian crude oil. The first round of consultations was held on September 16, followed by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal’s visit to the US on September 22. Goyal was accompanied by then special secretary Rajesh Agrawal, who now serves as India’s commerce secretary.The US negotiating team will be led by Brendan Lynch, who is overseeing the discussions on behalf of Washington.Next week’s visit is considered particularly important because Agrawal recently said that India remains optimistic about securing a framework trade deal with the US before the end of the year—one that would address the tariff burden currently affecting Indian exporters. While he acknowledged that a full-fledged Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) would take longer, Agrawal emphasised that the framework pact aims to tackle the immediate challenge of reciprocal tariffs.India and the US are currently engaged in two simultaneous negotiations:A framework deal focused on tariff-related issues.A broader, comprehensive Bilateral Trade Agreement.The BTA was formally initiated in February after leaders of both countries instructed their teams to negotiate the proposed agreement. The first tranche was initially targeted for completion by the fall of 2025, and six rounds of talks have taken place so far. The overarching goal of the agreement is to more than double bilateral trade to USD 500 billion by 2030, up from the present USD 191 billion.Goyal had earlier travelled to Washington in May for discussions with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick as part of the ongoing effort to accelerate negotiations.The US continues to be India’s largest trading partner for the fourth consecutive year in 2024–25, with trade valued at USD 131.84 billion. It accounts for nearly 18% of India’s goods exports and over 10% of total merchandise trade.However, the recent tariff escalation has begun to bite. India’s exports to the US fell for the second straight month in October, dropping 8.58% to USD 6.3 billion, while imports rose 13.89% to USD 4.46 billion, according to commerce ministry data.Next week’s talks are expected to focus heavily on mitigating these impacts and charting the path toward a workable interim agreement.read more :-  Ghatanji cotton auction at Rs 7,385, arrival of 3,000 quintals

*At the Ghatanji Agricultural Produce Market Committee, cotton from 200 carts was auctioned for ₹7,385, with an arrival of 3,000 quintals.*On December 4th, Agricultural Produce Market Committee Chairman Nitin Kothari and Board of Directors and Agricultural Produce Market Committee Secretary Kapil Channavar inaugurated the auction-based cotton procurement at the Late Sureshbabu Lonkar Cotton Yard.Present on the occasion were Agricultural Produce Market Committee Directors Sanjay Gode, Nandkishore Dambhare, Chandrakant Ingle, Chandraprakash Khartade, Hanuman Meshram, Ashish Bhoyar, Akbar Tanwar, Arvind Jadhav, Ramesh Dambhare and the entire staff, Agricultural Produce Market Committee Secretary Kapil Channavar, private cotton buyer traders Vivek Rungtha, Ram Chaudhary, Hanuman, Adte Bharat Potraje, Monu Pandey, Avinash Bhure, Umesh Bonde, Arvind Jadhav, Kishore Uplenchwar, Anil Hatware, Vijay Hivarkar, Ganesh Jadhav, and others. Ramesh Deshmukh, Sameer Nagaria, Rajesh Ghode, all Agricultural Produce Market Committee employees, and farmers from the taluka were also present.Contact the Agricultural Produce Market Committee if you have any problems. If you experience any problems after bringing your cotton to the market, contact the Agricultural Produce Market Committee administration. Farmers should bring their agricultural produce to the Market Committee yard and not sell it to village buyers, said Committee Secretary Kapil Channavar.Farmers should take advantage of the committee. On this occasion, Agricultural Produce Market Committee Chairman Nitin Kothari and Market Committee Secretary Kapil Channavar appealed to farmers not to sell their cotton to traders who buy from the village. Farmers should sell their produce only at the Agricultural Produce Market Committee, bring cotton for sale, and cooperate with the administration.read more :-  Kurnool's poor harvest has had a severe impact on the cotton industry.

*Andhra Pradesh : Cotton Mills Going Through Crises Due To Poor Harvest In Kurnool District.**KURNOOL:* Cotton supply has sharply declined in the Adoni area of Kurnool district, creating a severe crisis in the 30 to 35 cotton-based units in the region. This year, farmers around Adoni had cultivated cotton over 5.42 lakh acres, expecting a yield of 8–10 quintals per acre. However, due to unfavourable weather conditions, particularly heavy rainfall during September and October, their yield fell by about 50 per cent.The situation worsened with Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) officials rejecting the produce of many farmers due to high moisture content – more than 12 per cent –poor quality and size of cotton seeds. CCI offered a maximum price of ₹8,279 per quintal. It initially accepted from each farmer only 4 to 6 quintals of cotton, instead purchasing their entire stock. Traders took advantage of this by buying cotton at lower prices than this amount.After the district collector’s intervention, CCI increased the limit to 10 quintals per farmer. Most farmers had already sold their produce to traders by then. Cotton mills in the area are now facing severe difficulties, as production and fresh arrivals remain limited. Each mill requires around 50,000–60,000 quintals of cotton per day to operate efficiently. For each cotton machine to function to the best of its capacity, at least 2,000 quintals of cotton is needed as raw material.Many cotton mill owners warn that without sufficient supply, their machines will have to remain idle, leading to recurring expenses that are financially harmful. “Around 8 to 10 cotton units are on the verge of closure. If cotton supply to the mills does not improve, we may have to shut down,” said a unit owner on condition of anonymity. The district collector recently visited some cotton mills in Adoni. He instructed officials that if the CCI rejects stocks due to moisture or quality issues, they should support farmers by allowing them to sell their produce directly to cotton mills. Farmers are hesitant about selling their piled-up cotton stocks over pricing issues, owing to quality issues being raised by mill owners.read more :- Cotton farmers protest against MSP at CCI Guntur on December 10 

*A.P. cotton farmers demand MSP, plan protest at CCI Guntur on December 10.*Cotton farmers in Andhra Pradesh are set to stage a protest at the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) office in Guntur on December 10, demanding immediate procurement of cotton at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) declared by the government. Organised by the CPI’s frontal organisation Andhra Pradesh Farmers’ Association (AIKES), the protest will highlight the severe losses incurred by the farmers during this year’s kharif season due to cyclones, heavy rains, floods, droughts, and pest attacks.The expected yields of 10 quintals per acre have dropped to 3 quintals to 4 quintals, with damaged bolls and discoloured cotton aggravating the situation.Procurement centres set up by the Central government have reportedly created hurdles, citing high moisture content and imposing restrictive measures, forcing many farmers to sell away their produce to private traders at ₹5,000 to ₹6,000 per quintal, far below the MSP of ₹8,110. The farmers’ association demands relaxation of CCI norms, immediate purchase of the produce at MSP, input subsidies and crop insurance for losses, implementation of Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Commission recommendations, raising MSP to ₹12,000, waiver of GST on farm inputs, government-funded transport, establishment of procurement centres in all cotton-growing constituencies, disposal of 2.5 lakh bales held in CCI warehouses, and a bonus of Rs.3,000 per quintal.The association has urged all affected farmers to participate to ensure the protest’s success.read more :-   The rupee opened 13 paise higher at 89.85 against the dollar.

The rupee opened 13 paise higher at 89.85 against the dollar. The Indian rupee opened at 89.85 against the dollar on Friday, compared to its previous close of 89.98.read more :-   The rupee rose 43 paise to close at 89.98 per dollar.

On Thursday, the Indian rupee closed 43 paise to close at 89.98 per dollar, after opening at 90.41 in the morningThe Sensex opened on a weak note, declining 156.83 points to 84,949.98. The Nifty too eased 47 points to 25,938.95. Both indices later recouped losses, with the Sensex trading 369.80 points higher at 85,476.62 and the Nifty at 26,096.25, up 110.25 points.The rupee fell 28 paise to a fresh low of 90.43 against the US dollar in early trade. A weakening currency typically dampens market sentiment as it prompt foreign investors to turn cautious.read more :-  Punjab cotton crisis: 60% of crop sold at throwaway prices

*Punjab Cotton Crisis: 60% of Crop Sold Below MSP as Farmers Face Losses*Punjab’s cotton growers are once again facing a cotton crisis. According to Mandi Data, in the current 2025 cotton season, about 61% of the cotton arriving at state mandis was sold below the Minimum Support Price (MSP).It is in spite of a fixed MSP being at INR 8,010 per quintal for the staple cotton variety commonly grown in Punjab. In many cases, cotton fetched as little as INR 3,000 per quintal—a crushing blow for farmers who were hopeful for fair returns.This year’s arrival numbers create worry. Only 2.3 lakh quintals of cotton reached the mandis, compared with 5.4 lakh quintals last year; a sharp decline shows that many farmers may have stopped cotton cultivation altogether.A main reason for the crisis is the state procurement agency, Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), purchased only a small fraction – about 35,348 quintals out of the mandi arrivals. The vast majority, nearly 1.95 lakh quintals, went to private traders, who seized the opportunity to purchase at reduced prices.This season CCI began a new digital procurement procedure via the so-called “Kapas Kisan” app. Only farmers whose Aadhaar details and land records were verified and whose cotton met moisture and quality criteria became eligible for MSP procurement. Many farmers struggled with registration or failed the crop-quality test, which caused delay or completely blocked their access to MSP sales.For many cotton growers, the outcome has been distressing. What was meant to be a safety net in the form of MSP has turned into bitter frustration. Farmers who invested time, labour and money into sowing cotton, in the name of past MSP assurances, have received meagre returns or been forced to sell at minimal rates.The larger implication is that such repeated episodes may push farmers to abandon cotton and shift to crops such as paddy or wheat. That could reshape Punjab’s agrarian landscape with long-term environmental and economic consequences.For Punjab’s cotton belt, MSP announcements mean little unless procurement agencies step in with prompt decisive action. Until then, “support price” may remain just a number on paper.read more :-  Farmers demand CCI to raise cotton procurement limit to 15 quintals

*Maharashtra: CCI should increase the cotton procurement limit to 15 quintals per acre: Farmers protested at the office; officials bombarded them with questions**Akola* : CCI should increase the cotton procurement limit to 15 quintals per acre: Farmers protested at the office; officials bombarded them with questionsFarmers protested at the office; officials bombarded them with questionsCCI (Cotton Corporation of India), a central government organization that buys and sells cotton, has set a cotton procurement limit of 5 quintals (60 kg) per acre. Shiv Sena and farmers staged a protest at the CCI office on Wednesday, demanding that the procurement limit be increased to 15 quintals, among other demands. Shiv Sena workers bombarded officials with questions and demanded answers. Officials assured them that the farmers' demands would be addressed in the meeting. A heavy police force was deployed to prevent any untoward incident.This year, the soybean, cotton, and pigeon pea crops were damaged due to the heavy rains during the Kharif season. Crops were damaged, sometimes due to drought and sometimes due to heavy rains. The cotton crop suffered significant losses. Similarly, farmers were facing difficulties with the CCI procurement process, leading the Shiv Sena's Thackeray group to storm the CCI office on December 3rd. During this time, CCI officials, including District Chief Gopal Datakar, former Chief Rahul Karale, Shiva Mohod, Dr. Prashant Adhau, Yogeshwar Wankhade, Prof. Nitin Lande, Dnyaneshwar Gawande, and Sanjay Bhamre, questioned them. Farmers do not receive compensation until 10 to 12 days after the cotton is purchased. The Shiv Sainiks demanded that farmers be compensated for their cotton within 24 hours, as required by the rules. The officials stated that an appeal to the state government regarding the procurement limit was necessary. The official added that they would inform their superiors and plan a solution by holding a meeting to address some of the issues mentioned in the statement.Shiv Sena officials also submitted a written statement of the farmers' various demands to the CCI officials. A limit of 5.60 quintals per acre has been imposed when purchasing cotton from farmers. This has forced farmers to sell the remaining cotton to traders at a loss. All the cotton they have should be purchased. It has been demanded that the purchase limit be increased to 15 quintals per acre.Vaastu Purchase Condition: Farmers bring their cotton to CCI in available vehicles. If cotton is not available in one vehicle, it is brought in another vehicle. However, at the procurement center, only the cotton in one vehicle is being counted, and the other vehicle is being sent back. The time-consuming process for rebooking and approving slots for cotton in the second vehicle is making it difficult for farmers to sell their cotton. Therefore, this condition is not necessary.Vaastu Purchase Based on Talathi Certificate: Due to network issues, website downtime, and other issues, many farmers were unable to register for e-crop sowing. Therefore, if unregistered farmers bring a certificate from the Talathi stating their sowing, it should be accepted and the cotton should be purchased, Shiv Sena leaders demanded.Think positively about the demands: Shiv Sena leaders told officials that it is possible to resolve any issue, and to take action on other demands, including increasing the procurement limit. Officials explained the process for increasing the procurement limit. Shiv Sena warned that the cotton procurement process must be improved in accordance with other issues, or a strong agitation would be launched. CCI graders and employees are rude to farmers at the cotton procurement center. Furthermore, if farmers face any problems, they are not informed. The Shiv Sena leader demanded that graders and employees treat farmers with leniency and appoint a staff member to resolve any issues. Eliminate the moisture requirement for cotton procurement and provide a flat price. In the current situation, there has been little or no rain this month. Yet, moisture is being checked on every cotton truck and a low price is being offered. A flat price of ₹8,100 should be offered without any moisture test.In districts where the cotton procurement limit is not practical relative to production, government cotton procurement is being initiated through the CCI. Under this procurement process, the CCI has stipulated that it will only purchase 5 quintals (60 kg) of cotton per acre from each farmer. However, this limit is limiting, impractical, and inconvenient for farmers. Most farmers in the district produce much more than 5.60 quintals per acre. Because of this very limited limit, farmers have to make multiple trips to the procurement center to sell their cotton. Repeated trips increase farmers' transportation costs and waste their time. Government interventions such as the ban on futures, export bans, and unnecessary imports have led to a drop in cotton prices in the open market. Therefore, the procurement limit should be removed, Shiv Sainiks said.read more :-  Cotton prices improved in Rajkot market yard.

*Gujarat: Cotton procurement begins at the Samalaya Sub-Market Yard.**Vadodara:* With the support of the Savli Market Committee, the MLA initiated the procurement of cotton at the Samalaya Sub-Market Yard. In collaboration with the Savli Krishiwadi Produce Market Committee, cotton procurement began at the Samalaya Sub-Market Yard. This important program was officially launched.Cotton procurement begins at the Samalaya Sub-Market Yard in collaboration with the Savli Market Committee. The MLA initiated the procurement. In collaboration with the Savli Krishiwadi Produce Market Committee, cotton procurement began at the Samalaya Sub-Market Yard. This important program was inaugurated by local MLA Ketanbhai Inamdare. Keeping farmers' interests in mind, the Market Committee has created various facilities to ensure fair valuation and fair prices for their crops.In his speech, MLA Ketanbhai Inamdare stated that the state government and market committees are committed to empowering farmers. Cotton is purchased in a timely and transparent manner, there is no discrimination in size and price and a special system has been created to ensure that the payment is easily deposited into the farmer's account. An atmosphere of happiness and satisfaction was seen among the farmers who brought cotton to Samalaya Yard. Market Committee officials said that there is a possibility of higher income from cotton this season. Farmers are being provided facilities including transparent verification of weight and measurement. Easy arrangements have been made for tractor-trolleys. Market Committee Chairman Rajubhai Patel, Director, employees and a large number of people were present in the program. Farmers were present.read more :-  The rupee fell 22 paise to open at 90.41.

The rupee fell 22 paise to open at 90.41 due to persistent demand for the dollar.The rupee opened at 90.41 against the US dollar after closing at 90.19 in the previous session.read more :- Rupee fell 23 paise to close at 90.19 per dollar