States Urged to Support MSP Cotton Procurement

06-Oct-2025 12:52 PM

New Delhi. The Union Ministry of Textiles has asked the country's major cotton-producing states to cooperate in ensuring farmers receive the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their cotton during the current Kharif marketing season 2025-26 and to ensure full compliance with MSP regulations.

Compared to last year, the domestic cotton production area has declined by 3 lakh hectares, and excessive rainfall and flooding have damaged the crop in many areas. Given this, producers must receive a better price for cotton.

The central government has increased the minimum support price for cotton by ₹589 compared to the 2024-25 season, to ₹7,710 per quintal for the medium-staple category and ₹8,110 per quintal for the long-staple variety for the 2025-26 season.

Since the 11 percent customs duty on cotton imports has been withdrawn and a large amount of cheap cotton is being imported from abroad, putting pressure on domestic market prices,

the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) has been directed to ensure the purchase of the entire quantity of cotton arriving at government procurement centers from producers.

The number of procurement centers for government cotton procurement has been increased to 550 at the national level.

Ten states in the country—Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu—cultivate both Bt cotton and traditional varieties, while Odisha produces only traditional varieties.

The new marketing season for cotton officially began on October 1, 2025, and will continue until September 30, 2026. During the 2024-25 marketing season, the Cotton Corporation of India (CII) purchased approximately 10 million bales of cotton,

while this quantity may increase further in the 2025-26 season. Although cotton production is expected to decline again, this shortfall will be met through significant imports. Each bale weighs 170 kg.