To address the challenges faced by cotton producers, the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) has expanded its operations by opening 61 cotton purchase centers across New Delhi.

This increase in centers comes in response to the difficulties experienced by farmers who previously had to travel long distances to sell their cotton at only 40 centers, resulting in high time, labor, and transportation costs.

The Union Minister of State for Rural Development and Communication raised concerns about these challenges, prompting the Union Textile Minister to direct the CCI to take further action.

As a result, CCI has extended the operating hours of these centers until 7:30 pm to speed up the cotton purchasing process.

This will allow for faster completion of paperwork and quicker payments to farmers on the same day. Additionally, the purchase centers will now remain open from Monday to Saturday, ensuring convenience for tenant farmers, who make up around 60% of the cotton producers.

The current cotton crop condition is favorable in Karnataka, and there has been no decline in the area under cotton cultivation there.

However, in other major cotton-producing states such as Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the area under cultivation has decreased compared to the previous year.

Efforts are also being made to address the issue of high moisture content in cotton, which is causing some problems related to climate, transportation, and storage.

In response to these challenges, CCI is considering extending the cotton purchasing period until March 2025 to ensure that farmers have enough time to sell their produce.

These steps aim to support cotton farmers by providing greater access, improving convenience, and addressing the issues related to cotton quality and purchasing processes.