Telangana Urges Centre to Raise Cotton Moisture Limit to 20%
The Telangana government has urged the central government to raise the permissible upper limit of moisture content in cotton from the current 12% to 20%, citing the state’s prevailing weather conditions during the harvest season.
In a letter to Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh, Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said that due to high humidity in October and November, the moisture content in freshly picked cotton naturally ranges between 12% and 20%. However, as per existing norms, the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) procures cotton only with moisture content between 8% and 12%.
“Because of this restriction, farmers are unable to sell their produce at the Minimum Support Price (MSP),” Rao wrote, appealing to the Centre to raise the upper limit to 20% to ensure fair procurement.
The minister also noted that although total cotton output in Telangana is likely to decline marginally this year, global cotton prices have also weakened, putting additional pressure on farmers’ incomes. He expressed hope that the CCI would continue procurement at MSP during the ongoing marketing season.
Cotton is cultivated on 18.59 lakh hectares across Telangana, with an estimated production of 28.29 lakh tonnes this year. The state ranks third in cotton cultivation nationally—after Maharashtra (38.42 lakh hectares) and Gujarat (20.81 lakh hectares)—followed by Rajasthan (6.28 lakh hectares) and Andhra Pradesh (4.13 lakh hectares).
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