Cotton prices down in Maharashtra, only 4.89 lakh farmers registered on CCI app
By yash chouhan 2025-11-15 11:40:04
Maharastra : Market rates down, but only 4.89 lakh farmers register to sell cotton on CCI app.
Nagpur: Amid the government starting cotton procurement at the minimum support price (MSP), private traders are continuing to offer rates that are over Rs1,400 below the benchmark level. The MSP for long-staple cotton has been fixed at Rs8,110 a quintal for the current season. As against this, private market rates are in the range of Rs6,700 to 6,800 a quintal, said sources.
Arrivals in both, MSP centres of the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) and private markets, remain low, said sources in the trade. The rates are down since India removed customs duty on cotton import till December 31 following tariff tension with the US. Given the situation, farmers are pinning hopes on MSP purchases by CCI, which offers the MSP.
This year, CCI has made it mandatory for farmers to register through the Kapas Kisan app for selling cotton. The idea behind it was to ensure that only genuine farmers sell the produce as details like landholding and relevant documents have to be posted on the app.
So far, 4.89 lakh farmers have registered in the entire state. The figures are grossly below the actual number of cotton growers, various estimates point out, sources said.
CCI officials say that the date of registration has been extended till December 31. This makes it convenient for farmers to register and book a slot according to their choice instead of rushing to the centres. The CCI has so far opened 168 procurement centres in the entire state and purchased 9,000 bales (45,000 quintals) of cotton, said an official. Sources say the arrivals in the private markets are low because the farmers are preferring to sell their produce to the CCI. However, they are holding on to the produce due to the hassles in registration through the app.
High moisture content due to unseasonal rains is also a reason. CCI does not accept cotton with moisture over 12%. After self-registration, the farmers' details have to be endorsed by the state govt. Gajanan Singwarar, a farmer from close to the Telangana border in Yavatmal, said he could get registered on the app. However, a number of others are finding it too complex. Yet, they see selling their produce to CCI as the only option due to the low prices this year.
The CCI centres do not cover all the areas. In that case, the farmers may have to sell off their produce to private traders. Often, traders who offer them credit quickly recover their dues after the produce is sold to private traders, said another farmer.
A CCI official, on the other hand, said centres have been opened in areas wherever there are at least 3,000 hectares of cotton cultivation and the presence of a ginning mill. In Yavatmal, around 18 centres have been opened, while there are 14 in Amravati. Both are cotton-growing districts of the region.
