Demand to Increase Cotton Moisture Limit to 20%

27-Oct-2025 04:44 PM

Hyderabad. Telangana's Agriculture Minister has urged the Central Government to raise the upper permissible limit of moisture in cotton from 12 percent to 20 percent, stating that current weather conditions have significantly increased the moisture content of cotton in the state, causing farmers to face significant difficulties in selling it.

In a letter to the Union Textiles Minister, Telangana's Agriculture Minister stated that there is a shortage of buyers for moisture-laden cotton in wholesale markets.

According to the prevailing rules, cotton with a moisture content of up to 8 percent will be purchased at the full Minimum Support Price (MSP). If the moisture content is between 9 and 12 percent, the MSP estimate will be reduced, and if the moisture content exceeds 12 percent, the cotton will not be purchased by the government.

Telangana farmers say that this strict central government rule is causing significant hardship to cotton growers and preventing them from receiving a fair price for their produce. The government should consider raising the permissible upper limit of moisture to 20 percent.

It is noteworthy that the Central Government has increased the minimum support price of cotton by ₹589 for the 2025-26 season, setting it at ₹7,710 per quintal for medium-staple varieties and ₹8,110 per quintal for long-staple varieties.

Cotton production is expected to decline slightly due to a decrease in nationally sown area and crop damage caused by floods and rains. Meanwhile, cotton prices are remaining subdued in the global market.

The Central Cotton Corporation (CCI) is purchasing cotton at the MSP, and should continue to do so, given the country's cotton exports are weak.

This year, approximately 18.60 lakh hectares have been cultivated in Telangana, and production is estimated at 28.30 lakh tonnes. Telangana is considered the third largest cotton-producing state.