Unseasonal Rains Worsen Woes of Maharashtra Cotton Farmers

05-Nov-2025 08:26 PM

Nagpur. Recent heavy unseasonal rains in the Vidarbha region, the leading cotton-producing state of Maharashtra, have exacerbated the problems of farmers. This rain has not only damaged the crop but also affected its quality.

The high moisture content of cotton bolls is making it difficult to sell them at government procurement centers, while traders in open markets are attempting to purchase them at significantly lower prices.

According to government regulations, only cotton with a moisture content of 8-12 percent will be purchased at the Minimum Support Price (MSP). However, in some districts of Maharashtra, cotton is being found to have moisture content ranging from 12 to 20 percent.

The central government has increased the minimum support price for cotton by ₹589 compared to the 2024-25 season, setting it at ₹7,710 per quintal for medium-staple varieties and ₹8,110 per quintal for long-staple varieties for the 2025-26 season. Farmers demand that they receive at least the minimum support price for their cotton.

The central agency, the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), is willing to purchase cotton from farmers at the MSP, but with the condition that the moisture content of the cotton should not exceed 12 percent.

During the 2024-25 marketing season, 144.55 lakh quintals of cotton worth approximately ₹10,714 crore (equivalent to 29.41 lakh bales) were procured from 6.27 lakh farmers in Maharashtra at the minimum support price.

This time, the CCI has implemented a rule to purchase only 5 quintals of cotton per acre from each farmer. This has also worried producers, and there are demands for this limit to be removed.