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Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Chairs Cotton-Growing States Meeting in CoimbatoreCoimbatore: Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, chaired a consultative meeting of Agriculture Ministers and senior officials from all major cotton-growing states at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore.Meeting ObjectiveThe primary agenda of the meeting is to promote cotton cultivation across the country and ensure the welfare of cotton farmers. A significant number of farmers attended the meeting to share their experiences, insights, and suggestions related to cotton farming.Focus on Cotton CultivationThe discussions emphasized the need to create favorable conditions for increasing cotton productivity and profitability. Successful cotton cultivation depends on several key environmental and agronomic factors.Key Requirements for Cotton Cultivation1. ClimateWarm Temperatures: Cotton thrives in warm climates, with ideal temperatures ranging between 21°C and 30°C.Ample Sunlight: The crop requires 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal photosynthesis and boll development.2. SoilWell-Drained Soil: Cotton is sensitive to waterlogging; hence, well-drained soil is essential.Soil Fertility: The soil should be rich in organic matter and vital nutrients—especially nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K).Additional Considerations for High YieldsTo achieve optimal productivity, the following practices are also crucial:Adequate Water Supply: Timely and sufficient irrigation is necessary throughout the growing season.Balanced Nutrient Management: Appropriate use of fertilizers is key to plant health and yield.Effective Pest and Disease Control: Proactive measures must be taken to manage common cotton pests and diseases.Use of Modern Farm Equipment: Mechanization can enhance efficiency and reduce labor dependency.The meeting concluded with a strong commitment to boosting cotton farming through policy support, farmer engagement, and scientific advancements in agriculture.

The Indian rupee on friday higher 05 paise to close at 85.80 per dollar, while it opened at 85.85 in the morning.At close, the Sensex was down 689.81 points or 0.83 percent at 82,500.47, and the Nifty was down 205.40 points or 0.81 percent at 25,149.85. About 1510 shares advanced, 2341 shares declined, and 150 shares unchanged.read more :- October 2024 crop loss: Cotton relief package announced, demand for other crops

Relief package announced: Package announced for damage to cotton crop in October 2024: Demand to include other crops as wellThe state government has announced a relief package for the damage caused to cotton cultivation due to unseasonal rains in October 2024. Surendranagar district is also included in the 6 districts of the state. Only those farmers will get assistance whose crop has suffered more than 33 percent damage. 2 hectare cropIn this regard, District Agriculture Officer M.R. Parmar said that the application process will be completed through Form VCE on the Digital Gujarat portal from July 14 to 28. Account holder farmers will have to apply on the Digital Gujarat portal from the e-gram center at the village level with the farmer's satbar, bank account details and Aadhaar number.The received applications will be sent to the government. It is said that cotton is the most consumed crop during the monsoon season in Surendranagar district. In 2024, cotton was sown in 2,45,313 hectares in the district. Many farmers had suffered losses. Farmer leaders Ashokbhai Patel, Prashant Pareek and other farmers reached the District Agriculture Officer's office regarding the crop damage assistance package announced by the government and submitted a memorandum that if only cotton will get compensation for the loss, then what will happen to the rest of the crops?On the other hand, since no one present in the office knew how many farmers would get assistance, the farmers got angry and threatened to sit on a dharna on Monday if justice was not given.In October 2024, 25507 farmers from Dasada and 16657 farmers from Lakhtar had applied for rain. The government discriminated in compensation and gave compensation only to selected villages and mute castes, due to which 50 percent of the farmers were deprived of assistance. This package has been announced when the farmers protested due to discrimination. In this too, the farmers are being deceived.Earlier the announcement was for all the crops, so why will only cotton get compensation in this, then what about the rest of the sown crops? The survey was done in October, but the damage to cotton was not seen. How will we conduct the survey now? There are questions like where to get one year old photos from.read more :- Rupee falls 21 paise at open to 85.85 against US dollar

HTBt cotton gets positive report, one step away from commercial cultivationNEW DELHI: An expert committee, appointed by central biotech regulator to review biosafety data of transgenic cotton, has submitted a favourable report on genetically modified HTBt cotton, paving way for Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) to take a final call on its commercial cultivation.Though transgenic Bt cotton is being cultivated in the country after getting approved in 2002, the herbicide-tolerant Bt (HTBt) cotton could not get the mandatory GEAC nod despite long-pending demand of cotton farmers. As a result, its illegal variant is reportedly being used without quality check in many cotton-producing states.Sources said the expert committee's report has given an all clear to HTBt cotton but the final decision would be taken by govt after getting regulator GEAC's nod.The demand for legal use of HTBt is expected to be raised again on Friday when Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visits Coimbatore for a crop-specific meeting on cotton.Since the ministry has invited suggestions from farmers ahead of the meeting amid reports of declining Bt cotton productivity in the country due to a newly emerging disease, tobacco streak virus (TSV), demand for allowing another transgenic variety - HTBt - for commercial cultivation at the earliest is expected to be the key takeaway.read more:- Rupee falls 21 paise at open to 85.85 against US dollar

The rupee opened 21 paise down on July 11 after the dollar index surged over US President Donald Trump's tariff uncertainties.The currency opened at 85.85 against the US dollar after closing the previous day at 85.64.read more :- Pink caterpillar attack on BT cotton in Sri Ganganagar, advice to farmers

Danger of pink caterpillar in BT cotton: Insect seen in fields in Sri Ganganagar, Agriculture Department advised farmersInfestation of pink caterpillar has been seen on BT cotton crop in some fields of Sri Ganganagar. As soon as the presence of the insect was confirmed, the Agriculture Department swung into action and issued guidelines to alert farmers and take precautions. The department has advised that if necessary steps are not taken in time, the crop may suffer heavy losses.Appeal to pay special attention to seed, distance and weedsAssistant Director of Agriculture Department Jaswant Singh said that while sowing BT cotton, use 450 grams of seed per bigha. Also maintain a distance of 108 cm between rows and 60 cm between plants. He advised farmers to use only seeds approved by the state government and avoid buying seeds from unknown sources.Integrated pesticide management is necessary to protect against pink caterpillarTo protect against caterpillar, crop rotation, deep ploughing, destruction of weeds in and around the field, cleaning of beds in the field and destruction of half-ripe bolls are necessary. Also, keep the wood left in the field covered with mosquito net or polythene from the month of April itself so that moths cannot come out.Spray pesticides at the right timeThe Agriculture Department has said to be especially cautious regarding the selection of pesticides. It is advised to spray neem based pesticides at the stage of 45 to 60 days and pyrethroid based pesticides after 120 days.Appeal to contact farmersThere is a need to be especially cautious in the fields where cotton wood or ginning factories and cottonseed oil mills are located nearby. The Agriculture Department has appealed to the farmers to contact the Agriculture Supervisor of their area, Assistant Agriculture Officer or Assistant Director Agriculture Office located in Anupgarh for any doubt or assistance.It has also had an impact in the last two yearsIt is worth noting that two years ago also the pink caterpillar had caused a lot of damage to the cotton crop. This time, by taking timely precautions, farmers can be helped in saving the crop.read more:- Cotton prices rise: CCI and Shankar-6 lead

Cotton Prices on the Rise: CCI Hikes and Shankar-6 Surge Signal Market ReboundMumbai, July 10, 2025 – The cotton market has witnessed significant activity over the past 40 days, with the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) adjusting its per candy pricing multiple times amid global currency fluctuations and a steady rise in Shankar-6 cotton prices.CCI Price Revisions: A Volatile PhaseFrom June 1 to July 10, 2025, CCI revised its cotton candy prices 11 times, reflecting a mix of bearish and bullish sentiments:Price Drops:June 2: Down ₹300June 10: Down ₹500June 20: Down ₹500These early reductions signaled a subdued market environment, likely influenced by weak global cues and currency pressures.Price Increases:June 25: Up ₹100June 27: Up ₹100June 30: Up ₹200July 1: Up ₹200July 7: Up ₹100July 8: Up ₹200July 9: Up ₹200July 10: Up ₹200Starting late June, the trend reversed with eight consecutive hikes, indicating improved demand and bullish outlook from both mills and traders.Shankar-6 Cotton Prices: Strong UptrendShankar-6 quality cotton, a benchmark for Indian cotton, also mirrored the bullish trend, moving from ₹54,100 per candy on June 2 to ₹56,400 on July 10, marking a net increase of ₹2,300 per candy. Notable jumps include:June 30 to July 1: ₹54,750 → ₹55,000July 7 to July 10: ₹55,600 → ₹56,400This consistent rise suggests robust buying interest and tight supply in key growing regions.Dollar-Rupee Dynamics: Mild FluctuationsThe USD-INR exchange rate ranged between ₹85.42 and ₹86.62, with the highest rate recorded on June 20. A stronger rupee in late June and early July, despite global uncertainties, provided some cushion for importers and may have influenced the CCI’s decision to hike prices.Key Observations:The early part of June was dominated by price cuts, reflecting sluggish demand.Mid to late June saw the start of a reversal, supported by improving fundamentals.July has been bullish across the board—CCI prices up, Shankar-6 prices surging, and a relatively stable dollar.Market Outlook:With the peak monsoon season underway and festive textile demand expected in Q3, market participants remain cautiously optimistic. Analysts suggest that unless global cotton supply eases or the rupee weakens significantly, the upward momentum in domestic prices may continue into August.read more:- INR Drops 03 Paise, Closes at 85.64 per Dollar

The Indian rupee on thursday lower 03 paise to close at 85.64 per dollar, while it opened at 85.61 in the morning.At close, the Sensex was down 345.80 points or 0.41 percent at 83,190.28, and the Nifty was down 120.85 points or 0.47 percent at 25,355.25. About 1919 shares advanced, 1947 shares declined, and 140 shares unchanged.read more :- Shivraj Chauhan holds high-level meeting on Coimbatore cotton crisis

Shivraj Chouhan to chair high-level meeting on cotton crisis in CoimbatoreChennai: In a significant move to tackle the ongoing crisis in cotton cultivation, Union Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will chair a high-level meeting in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu on Friday.The meeting will focus on strategies to increase cotton productivity, tackle virus infection and ensure availability of high-quality seeds to farmers.The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare said the meeting will bring together various stakeholders, including cotton farmers from cotton-producing states, scientists, agriculture ministers, senior government officials, cotton industry representatives and agricultural universities.In a video message ahead of the meeting, Minister Chouhan said, "Cotton production in India is continuously declining, primarily due to the TSV virus affecting Bt cotton."He stressed that the objective of the meeting is to have in-depth discussions on increasing productivity, reducing costs and developing high-quality, climate-resilient seed varieties."The objective of this meeting is to prepare a practical and sustainable roadmap for revival of cotton cultivation in the country," he said.Chouhan reiterated the Centre's firm commitment to improve the welfare of farmers. "It is our firm resolve to increase cotton production and improve the livelihood of our cotton-growing brothers and sisters. The challenges before us can be overcome only through collective effort," he said.To ensure wider participation and receive suggestions from the grassroots, the ministry has also launched a toll-free helpline - 1800 180 1551 - inviting cotton farmers across the country to share their suggestions, experiences and concerns.The minister assured that all suggestions received through the helpline will be taken seriously and considered in policy formulation. The meeting will begin at 10 am on July 11 and is expected to see active participation of senior officials, top scientists and policy-makers, including the Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).Making an impassioned appeal to the farming community, Chauhan said, "Together we will face this challenge and bring about a revival in cotton production in India. Your insights will help shape policies based on real-world challenges."The meeting in Coimbatore is seen as a crucial step towards improving the condition of India's cotton sector and ensuring long-term sustainability for millions of farmers who depend on it.read more :- Plans afoot to legalise HtBt to double cotton production

Plans to Legalise HtBt to Double Cotton OutputNEW DELHI: In a major agricultural reform aimed at doubling cotton production in the country, the government is planning to legalise the controversial herbicide-tolerant (Ht) Bt cotton (HtBt cotton). The expert committee on HtBt cotton seeds has given a positive recommendation for its commercial cultivation to the top biosafety regulatory body, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), after analysing three years of biosafety data.Environmentalists are concerned that the approval may lead to farmers indiscriminately spraying Glyphosate, a controversial herbicide used to eliminate weeds without harming cotton crops. This practice raises concerns about potential negative impacts on the environment and other crops grown in nearby fields. The GEAC appointed the committee in 2022 to study the adverse effects of HtBt cotton. The committee assessed the biosafety data of Bayer-owned, Monsanto-patented HtBt cotton for the years 2022-2024, reviewed the fresh risk assessment and risk management, and yield claim, and found it satisfactory.However, HtBt cotton cultivation has been occurring illegally in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana for many years.“If we approve commercial cultivation, then farmers who are getting ‘unauthorised seeds’ would get the right quality of seeds, where the seller would be made accountable,” a senior officer said.read more:- INR Opens Stronger by 7 Paise at 85.61

 Rupee opens marginally higher at 85.61 against dollar tracking Asian peersThe rupee opened 7 paise up on July 10, tracking uptick in Asian peers. The currency opened at 85.61 against the US dollar after closing at 85.68 the previous close.read more :- India’s Cotton Trade Sees Strong Momentum in June 2025: Imports Outpace Exports