21/09/2025
Hyderabad: With the 2025-26 cotton marketing season set to begin in mid-October, Telanganaโs farmers are bracing for a rush at government procurement centres, as mandi prices continue to fall far below the Minimum Support Price (MSP). The price gap has raised concerns of bottlenecks and delayed payments for nearly 6 lakh farmers across districts such as Warangal, Adilabad and Nalgonda.
Currently, mandi prices range between Rs. 6,333 and Rs. 6,805 per quintal in markets like Jammikunta and Bhainsa, up to Rs. 1,435 below the MSP of Rs. 7,710 for medium-staple cotton, which itself was increased by 8.27 per cent from last year. Long-staple varieties are faring worse, with the MSP fixed at Rs. 8,110 but mandi prices trailing significantly lower.
At a recent meeting, state officials and Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) representatives flagged the Rs. 1,099 MSP-market gap as a major concern and urged aggressive procurement to protect farmers from distress sales. Telangana expects 53โ55 lakh bales this season, with potential to touch 70 lakh bales under favourable conditions, from 18.51 lakh hectares under cotton cultivation.
To manage the expected surge, procurement centres have been increased from 110 to 122, with a new facility at Konaraopet in Rajanna Sircilla. Telangana had led national procurement last season with 40 lakh bales handled across 508 centres, but the high arrivals anticipated this year could put severe pressure on the systems.
CCI Chairman Lalit Kumar Gupta said the agency aimed to procure 50โ70 lakh bales nationally but warned that peak arrivals could overwhelm capacity, as witnessed last year. Fears persist that private traders may exploit long queues at centres to purchase cotton at cheaper prices.
In response, the state has introduced the Kapas Kisan App for slot bookings, Aadhaar-linked payments, and monitoring committees at local centres to ensure fair quality checks and accurate weights. A toll-free helpline (1800-599-5779), WhatsApp support (88972-81111) and a new Command Control Room at the Directorate will provide real-time grievance redressal.
Globally, a 1.3 per cent dip in cotton production to 117.2 million bales, coupled with over