Farmers demand relief in cotton procurement policies
By yash chouhan 2025-11-05 11:05:12
Maharashtra farmers demand relaxation in cotton procurement norms
Farmers and leaders of the Shetkari Sanghatana in Vidarbha, Maharashtra’s cotton belt, have urged the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) to relax its procurement norms in view of the heavy rains that have damaged the standing cotton crop and raised its moisture content.
CCI currently procures cotton only if its moisture content is below 12 per cent, as per central government guidelines. However, continuous rainfall has pushed moisture levels in several districts to between 12 and 20 per cent, making it difficult for farmers to sell their produce under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) scheme.
The Government of India has fixed the MSP for the 2025–26 cotton season at ₹7,710 per quintal for medium staple cotton (24.5–25.5 mm staple length) and ₹8,110 per quintal for long staple cotton (29.5–30.5 mm staple length). But in the open market, prices range between ₹3 and ₹5.60 per kilogram — far below the MSP — forcing farmers to sell at distress rates.
During cotton season 2024-25, CCI has procured 144.55 lakh quintals kapas (equivalent to 29.41 lakh lint cotton bales) valuing about ₹10,714 crore have under MSP operations in Maharashtra through 6.27 lakh transactions from farmers.
Farmers’ concerns
Shetkari Sanghatana leaders have demanded that CCI raise the permissible moisture limit and relax quality conditions to ensure that rain-affected farmers are not excluded from procurement. They also objected to CCI’s restriction of buying only five quintals of cotton per acre from each farmer, calling for the cap to be lifted.
“The rains have already caused severe damage to crops and delayed harvesting. The delayed and limited procurement by CCI has left many growers in distress,” said Avinash Patil, Shetkari Sanghatana’s Akola district chief. Farmers have expressed concern that several procurement centers are yet to start operations, leaving them anxious about the fate of their harvest.
Unless CCI begins large-scale procurement soon and eases the quality norms, cotton growers warn they could face major financial losses and be forced into distress sales to private traders.
