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Adilabad to host Telangana’s first cotton research centreAdilabad: The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has approved the establishment of an All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) centre on cotton in Adilabad district. This will be the first dedicated cotton research facility in Telangana and is expected to become operational in 2025 with a separate budget allocation.Adilabad, which is the second-largest cotton-producing region in the state, is set to gain significantly from the new centre. The facility will focus on developing improved cotton seed varieties, strengthening research infrastructure, and contributing to national-level agricultural research. It will also work in coordination with ICAR’s headquarters in New Delhi.The centre is expected to directly support farmers by offering training, field demonstrations, and guidance on modern farming techniques. It will also promote awareness of advanced agricultural practices aimed at improving both productivity and profitability.During the united Andhra Pradesh period, cotton research facilities were largely concentrated in regions such as Guntur and Nandyal, despite Telangana having substantial cotton cultivation areas.At present, Telangana cultivates cotton on nearly 54 lakh acres, with around 8 lakh acres in the erstwhile Adilabad district alone. The region’s cotton is also exported to international markets. In comparison, Andhra Pradesh has about 10 lakh acres under cotton cultivation but previously hosted a larger share of research centres.After the formation of Telangana, members of the Osmania University Joint Action Committee (OUJAC), led by Dr E. Dattatri, launched sustained efforts demanding a research centre in Adilabad. They submitted representations to both state and central authorities, which eventually led to the ICAR approval following the state government’s recommendation.Dr Dattatri welcomed the decision, calling it a major milestone for cotton farmers in the region. He noted that the centre would improve access to high-quality seed varieties, strengthen research support, and benefit the farming community. He also highlighted that the team had been pursuing the demand for over two years through meetings and petitions across political levels.The establishment of the centre is expected to transform Adilabad into a key hub for cotton research and innovation in Telangana.

The rupee closed 4 paise higher at 84.69 against the US dollar.The Sensex closed 56.74 points or 0.07 per cent lower at 81,709.12, and the Nifty closed 30.60 points or 0.12 per cent lower at 24,677.80. At the time of closing, 2298 stocks advanced, 1529 declined and 98 stocks remained unchanged.Read more:-  ICAR : nod for 2 cotton reaserch centres in T, ops bings next FY .

ICAR: approves two cotton research centers in T, operations bings for the upcoming fiscal year.Hyderabad : The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has sanctioned creation of two All India Coordinated Research Project Centres on cotton (AICRP) in Telangana.The decision comes following a recent meeting of Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University (PJTAU) vice chancellor professor Aldas Janaiah with ICAR director general Himanshu Pathak and deputy DG TP Sharma in New Delhi where he highlighted the critical role of cotton research in Telangana.He advocated PJTAU's inclusion in the national cotton research coordination initiative and proposed the establishment of two centres in the state: a primary centre in Warangal and a secondary centre in Adilabad.After the formation of a separate Telagnana in 2014, the state had witnessed a reduced representation within the national cotton research coordination centres. Consequently, PJTAU was unable to engage in national cotton research framework for the past 10 years, said officials.ICAR consented to the establishment of these two centres and will allocate staff and funding to bolster cotton research at PJTAU. Research at the centres will begin in the next financial year, officials said.ICAR gave nod to 2 centres: Primary centre in Warangal & a secondary centre in Adilabad. ICAR will also allocate staff & funding to bolster cotton research at PJTAURead more :>Farmers of Asifabad are facing various difficulties while preparing and picking the ripened cotton crop

Early trading sees the rupee rise to 84.66 versus the US dollar.Sensex falls! But these stocks are up over 5% on BSEA number of stocks surged as much as 5% or more in Friday's trade on Dalal Street as benchmark Sensex traded 151.24 points down at 81614.62 level on account of selling in frontline bluechip counters.Read More :> Decline in cultivated acreage: Cotton arrivals in Punjab drop fivefold compared to last year 

This evening, the rupee closed at 84.73 against the dollar, unchangedAt the close, the Sensex was up 809.53 points or 1.00 per cent at 81,765.86, and the Nifty was up 240.95 points or 0.98 per cent at 24,708.40. Around 2050 stocks advanced, 1758 declined and 113 stocks remained unchanged.Read More :-  Decline in cultivated acreage: Cotton arrivals in Punjab drop fivefold compared to last year

Rupee rises to 84.71 against US dollar in early tradeSensex climbs to 81,198.87; Nifty rises to 24,539.95 in early tradeBenchmark Sensex advanced 110 points in a choppy trade on Wednesday, extending its gains to the fourth day in a row helped by buying in HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and fresh foreign fund inflowsRead More :> Decline in cultivated acreage: Cotton arrivals in Punjab drop fivefold compared to last year

This evening, the rupee closed at Rs 84.74 against the dollar with a weakness of 5 paise.The BSE Sensex closed at 80,956.33 today with a gain of 110.58 points or 0.14 percent. Apart from this, the NSE Nifty closed at 24,467.45 with a gain of 10.30 points. Today, a good rise was registered in the Bank Nifty and it closed at the level of 53,266, jumping 571.15 points or 1.08 percent. This sector has supported the market.Read more:-  Decline in cultivated acreage: Cotton arrivals in Punjab drop fivefold compared to last year

Reduced cultivated acreage: Punjab's cotton imports are five times lower than they were the previous year.Punjab : This decline comes after a significant decline in cotton cultivation acreage during the kharif season, which has fallen to an all-time low of around 95,000 hectares due to persistent pest attacks since 2021.Cotton arrivals in Punjab have fallen sharply this season, with arrivals in the market till November 30 falling to less than a fifth of the 2023 figure, when over 5 lakh quintals of cotton had arrived in the market.This decline comes after a significant decline in cotton cultivation acreage during the kharif season, which has fallen to an all-time low of around 95,000 hectares due to persistent pest attacks since 2021.Data from the Punjab Mandi Board shows that the key kharif crop has recorded the lowest arrivals in seven years (since 2018), with only 1.23 lakh quintals of cotton reaching the markets till November 30, even as experts were expecting a revival in production.Cotton, popularly known as 'white gold', remains the economic backbone of the semi-arid regions of Punjab. Officials claim that private buyers are buying cotton at prices higher than the minimum support price (MSP), with long-staple cotton reaching ₹7,020 per quintal and medium-staple cotton reaching ₹7,271 per quintal.The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), a central agency that buys cotton at rates below the MSP, has not entered the market, indicating that the buying trend is in favour of farmers.Industry experts say farmers may hold back their cotton crop in anticipation of higher rates due to lower production.Last year, 15.73 lakh quintal of cotton was procured in the mandis of Malwa region.However, the current arrival trend has raised concerns among experts as the kharif crop yield has declined for the fourth consecutive season this year.Muktsar chief agriculture officer and nodal officer for cotton producing districts Gurnam Singh on Tuesday said there was no pest infestation this year and initial assessment suggests that the overall production may be encouraging despite a significant reduction in acreage. "It has been a disappointing season due to inadequate rainfall and inadequate care of fields by cotton growers.The state authorities have not yet taken any steps to promote cultivation of this traditional crop in the arid areas of Punjab," Singh said. Vinay Pathania, assistant professor (plant protection) at Bathinda Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), said whitefly was initially found in cotton fields. Later, pink bollworm was also detected. "But the pest attack did not pose any serious threat to the crop. Timely detection and use of pesticides saved the crop," he said. Jagseer Singh, chief agriculture officer, Bathinda, said against the average yield of 8 quintals an acre, it dropped to 4-5 quintals this year. "Farmers are disappointed with the poor yield trend from 2021, which has led to a significant reduction in the area devoted to cotton cultivation. Fearing another pest infestation, many farmers are hesitant to provide their crops with the required nutrients. Though pest management measures proved effective this time, the delayed attention to crop care came too late. Plant growth was low due to nutrient deficiencies and scanty rainfall, affecting the yield," he said.Read More :> Farmers of Asifabad are facing various difficulties while preparing and picking the ripened cotton crop

Against the US dollar, the rupee opens flat at 84.68. Sensex 350 pts higher at 81,200; Nifty at 24,550; IT, financials leadBenchmark Indian equity indices BSE Sensex and Nifty 50 were trading higher on Wednesday, tracking firm global cues.At 10 AM, the BSE Sensex was 343.82 points, or 0.43 per cent higher at 81,189.57, while the Nifty 50 was at 24,544, up 86.95 points, or 0.36 per cent. Read More :> Farmers of Asifabad are facing various difficulties while preparing and picking the ripened cotton crop

Asifabad farmers are having a lot of trouble getting ready and harvesting the mature cotton cropTelangana : While the cotton crop is ready for harvesting, going to the fields to cut the cotton ears has become a risky job as more than one tiger is lurkingKumram Bheem Asifabad: Cotton cultivating farmers in several villages of the district are in a do or die situation. While their cotton crop is ready for harvesting, going to the fields to cut the cotton ears has become a risky job as more than one tiger is lurking. A woman has already lost her life in a tiger attack while another farmer is still hospitalised as he had a narrow escape from the jaws of a big cat.In the winter season, cotton farmers hope to earn a lot of money by harvesting their grown commercial crop but they have to face several hurdles and take loans at exorbitant interest rates. They grow the crop by working day and night for four months. To grow and protect the crop, they have to face health problems due to spraying of toxic pesticides, heavy rains and cold weather.If the cotton crop, considered as 'white gold', is not harvested in the months of November and December, farmers cannot survive. They have to sell the produce to the trader and repay the loan. They have to invest the earnings and rent out the fields for another season. They have to keep money ready for many needs of themselves and their family members in a year.K Narayan, a farmer from Sirpur (T), said, "Farmers have a lot of expectations from the cotton crop. They use the profits from cotton cultivation for the education and marriage of their children, buying essential items, buying jewelry for their wives, medical services and other emergencies. For them, the barns are a part of their lives."However, harvesting cotton crop is now fraught with danger for farmers as tiger movement has increased and some of the big cats are attacking them. Still, they are forced to risk their lives to collect cotton balls even as forest officials advise them not to go to the fields to harvest cotton in view of the possibility of tiger attacks."Despite repeated warnings, cotton producing farmers are reaching the fields at 8 am. They are not showing interest in leaving the fields even though field staff is explaining to them the consequences of their work. We are in a helpless situation," said an official who flew a drone camera to monitor the movements of the tiger that killed Morale Laxmi (21) at Isgaon village in Kagaznagar mandal on Friday. According to officials, tigers are increasingly roaming the fields in search of mates and territory for breeding in winter. They consider cotton fields as their hideout. If a person bends down to pick up a ball, they pounce on him thinking he is prey.

This evening, the rupee gained 1 paisa against the dollar, closing at 84.69The BSE benchmark Sensex jumped 597.67 points or 0.74 per cent to close at 80,845.75. During the day's trade, it rose 701.02 points or 0.87 per cent to 80,949.10.The NSE Nifty rose 181.10 points or 0.75 per cent to 24,457.15.Read More :-  Cotton Farmers Anticipate Better Prices with New Government in Place