In Wani taluka, known as the "Island of White Gold," heavy rains this year have severely impacted cotton production.
2025-12-24 11:59:25
Heavy Rains Batter Cotton in Wani
As a result, cotton procurement by the end of December has decreased by 1.25 lakh quintals compared to last year. Last season, the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) purchased 128,604 quintals of cotton by the end of December. Total procurement for the entire season reached approximately 5 lakh quintals. However, this year, CCI's procurement started late, and due to the reduced production, the expected arrivals are not being met.
According to information from the Agricultural Produce Market Committee, CCI is currently purchasing cotton from 12 ginning units in Wani, as well as from ginning units in Shindola and Navargaon. Initially, the price for good quality cotton was Rs. 8,110 per quintal. However, based on grading, this price has now dropped to Rs. 6,060. The price is determined only after the cotton in each truck is inspected by a CCI grader.
This year, farmers are showing a greater preference for the Shindola market compared to the Wani market. As of December 18th, a total of 168,832 quintals of cotton had been purchased, with 97,909 quintals purchased in Wani, 63,740 quintals in Shindola, and 7,182 quintals in Navargaon. The Market Committee estimates that this procurement will reach 2 lakh quintals by the end of December. However, due to the overall lower cotton production this year, only about 3 lakh quintals are expected to be purchased throughout the entire season, which is approximately 2 lakh quintals less than last year.
Competition Among Ginning Units
Although CCI is purchasing cotton from 12 ginning units in Wani, farmers have to choose which ginning unit to sell their cotton to. For this, they have to register on an app and specify their preferred slot and ginning unit. Therefore, ginning unit owners are running advertisements urging farmers to "choose our ginning unit." They are leaving. In some places, drivers are being offered incentives, while in other places, ginning mill owners are even talking about giving out lottery prizes. As a result, some ginning mills are empty, while in other places, large quantities of cotton are being stockpiled.
Price increase by private traders
Due to lower production, cotton is expected to fetch a good price in the market this year. Because of large-scale purchases by the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), private traders were unable to obtain cotton. Therefore, traders have also increased prices and are currently offering 7,500 to 7,600 rupees per quintal. It is expected that if the price increases by another 200 to 300 rupees, farmers will be able to sell their cotton to these traders.
