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On Thursday, the Indian rupee closed 43 paise to close at 89.98 per dollar, after opening at 90.41 in the morningThe Sensex opened on a weak note, declining 156.83 points to 84,949.98. The Nifty too eased 47 points to 25,938.95. Both indices later recouped losses, with the Sensex trading 369.80 points higher at 85,476.62 and the Nifty at 26,096.25, up 110.25 points.The rupee fell 28 paise to a fresh low of 90.43 against the US dollar in early trade. A weakening currency typically dampens market sentiment as it prompt foreign investors to turn cautious.read more :-  Punjab cotton crisis: 60% of crop sold at throwaway prices

*Punjab Cotton Crisis: 60% of Crop Sold Below MSP as Farmers Face Losses*Punjab’s cotton growers are once again facing a cotton crisis. According to Mandi Data, in the current 2025 cotton season, about 61% of the cotton arriving at state mandis was sold below the Minimum Support Price (MSP).It is in spite of a fixed MSP being at INR 8,010 per quintal for the staple cotton variety commonly grown in Punjab. In many cases, cotton fetched as little as INR 3,000 per quintal—a crushing blow for farmers who were hopeful for fair returns.This year’s arrival numbers create worry. Only 2.3 lakh quintals of cotton reached the mandis, compared with 5.4 lakh quintals last year; a sharp decline shows that many farmers may have stopped cotton cultivation altogether.A main reason for the crisis is the state procurement agency, Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), purchased only a small fraction – about 35,348 quintals out of the mandi arrivals. The vast majority, nearly 1.95 lakh quintals, went to private traders, who seized the opportunity to purchase at reduced prices.This season CCI began a new digital procurement procedure via the so-called “Kapas Kisan” app. Only farmers whose Aadhaar details and land records were verified and whose cotton met moisture and quality criteria became eligible for MSP procurement. Many farmers struggled with registration or failed the crop-quality test, which caused delay or completely blocked their access to MSP sales.For many cotton growers, the outcome has been distressing. What was meant to be a safety net in the form of MSP has turned into bitter frustration. Farmers who invested time, labour and money into sowing cotton, in the name of past MSP assurances, have received meagre returns or been forced to sell at minimal rates.The larger implication is that such repeated episodes may push farmers to abandon cotton and shift to crops such as paddy or wheat. That could reshape Punjab’s agrarian landscape with long-term environmental and economic consequences.For Punjab’s cotton belt, MSP announcements mean little unless procurement agencies step in with prompt decisive action. Until then, “support price” may remain just a number on paper.read more :-  Farmers demand CCI to raise cotton procurement limit to 15 quintals

*Maharashtra: CCI should increase the cotton procurement limit to 15 quintals per acre: Farmers protested at the office; officials bombarded them with questions**Akola* : CCI should increase the cotton procurement limit to 15 quintals per acre: Farmers protested at the office; officials bombarded them with questionsFarmers protested at the office; officials bombarded them with questionsCCI (Cotton Corporation of India), a central government organization that buys and sells cotton, has set a cotton procurement limit of 5 quintals (60 kg) per acre. Shiv Sena and farmers staged a protest at the CCI office on Wednesday, demanding that the procurement limit be increased to 15 quintals, among other demands. Shiv Sena workers bombarded officials with questions and demanded answers. Officials assured them that the farmers' demands would be addressed in the meeting. A heavy police force was deployed to prevent any untoward incident.This year, the soybean, cotton, and pigeon pea crops were damaged due to the heavy rains during the Kharif season. Crops were damaged, sometimes due to drought and sometimes due to heavy rains. The cotton crop suffered significant losses. Similarly, farmers were facing difficulties with the CCI procurement process, leading the Shiv Sena's Thackeray group to storm the CCI office on December 3rd. During this time, CCI officials, including District Chief Gopal Datakar, former Chief Rahul Karale, Shiva Mohod, Dr. Prashant Adhau, Yogeshwar Wankhade, Prof. Nitin Lande, Dnyaneshwar Gawande, and Sanjay Bhamre, questioned them. Farmers do not receive compensation until 10 to 12 days after the cotton is purchased. The Shiv Sainiks demanded that farmers be compensated for their cotton within 24 hours, as required by the rules. The officials stated that an appeal to the state government regarding the procurement limit was necessary. The official added that they would inform their superiors and plan a solution by holding a meeting to address some of the issues mentioned in the statement.Shiv Sena officials also submitted a written statement of the farmers' various demands to the CCI officials. A limit of 5.60 quintals per acre has been imposed when purchasing cotton from farmers. This has forced farmers to sell the remaining cotton to traders at a loss. All the cotton they have should be purchased. It has been demanded that the purchase limit be increased to 15 quintals per acre.Vaastu Purchase Condition: Farmers bring their cotton to CCI in available vehicles. If cotton is not available in one vehicle, it is brought in another vehicle. However, at the procurement center, only the cotton in one vehicle is being counted, and the other vehicle is being sent back. The time-consuming process for rebooking and approving slots for cotton in the second vehicle is making it difficult for farmers to sell their cotton. Therefore, this condition is not necessary.Vaastu Purchase Based on Talathi Certificate: Due to network issues, website downtime, and other issues, many farmers were unable to register for e-crop sowing. Therefore, if unregistered farmers bring a certificate from the Talathi stating their sowing, it should be accepted and the cotton should be purchased, Shiv Sena leaders demanded.Think positively about the demands: Shiv Sena leaders told officials that it is possible to resolve any issue, and to take action on other demands, including increasing the procurement limit. Officials explained the process for increasing the procurement limit. Shiv Sena warned that the cotton procurement process must be improved in accordance with other issues, or a strong agitation would be launched. CCI graders and employees are rude to farmers at the cotton procurement center. Furthermore, if farmers face any problems, they are not informed. The Shiv Sena leader demanded that graders and employees treat farmers with leniency and appoint a staff member to resolve any issues. Eliminate the moisture requirement for cotton procurement and provide a flat price. In the current situation, there has been little or no rain this month. Yet, moisture is being checked on every cotton truck and a low price is being offered. A flat price of ₹8,100 should be offered without any moisture test.In districts where the cotton procurement limit is not practical relative to production, government cotton procurement is being initiated through the CCI. Under this procurement process, the CCI has stipulated that it will only purchase 5 quintals (60 kg) of cotton per acre from each farmer. However, this limit is limiting, impractical, and inconvenient for farmers. Most farmers in the district produce much more than 5.60 quintals per acre. Because of this very limited limit, farmers have to make multiple trips to the procurement center to sell their cotton. Repeated trips increase farmers' transportation costs and waste their time. Government interventions such as the ban on futures, export bans, and unnecessary imports have led to a drop in cotton prices in the open market. Therefore, the procurement limit should be removed, Shiv Sainiks said.read more :-  Cotton prices improved in Rajkot market yard.

*Gujarat: Cotton procurement begins at the Samalaya Sub-Market Yard.**Vadodara:* With the support of the Savli Market Committee, the MLA initiated the procurement of cotton at the Samalaya Sub-Market Yard. In collaboration with the Savli Krishiwadi Produce Market Committee, cotton procurement began at the Samalaya Sub-Market Yard. This important program was officially launched.Cotton procurement begins at the Samalaya Sub-Market Yard in collaboration with the Savli Market Committee. The MLA initiated the procurement. In collaboration with the Savli Krishiwadi Produce Market Committee, cotton procurement began at the Samalaya Sub-Market Yard. This important program was inaugurated by local MLA Ketanbhai Inamdare. Keeping farmers' interests in mind, the Market Committee has created various facilities to ensure fair valuation and fair prices for their crops.In his speech, MLA Ketanbhai Inamdare stated that the state government and market committees are committed to empowering farmers. Cotton is purchased in a timely and transparent manner, there is no discrimination in size and price and a special system has been created to ensure that the payment is easily deposited into the farmer's account. An atmosphere of happiness and satisfaction was seen among the farmers who brought cotton to Samalaya Yard. Market Committee officials said that there is a possibility of higher income from cotton this season. Farmers are being provided facilities including transparent verification of weight and measurement. Easy arrangements have been made for tractor-trolleys. Market Committee Chairman Rajubhai Patel, Director, employees and a large number of people were present in the program. Farmers were present.read more :-  The rupee fell 22 paise to open at 90.41.

The rupee fell 22 paise to open at 90.41 due to persistent demand for the dollar.The rupee opened at 90.41 against the US dollar after closing at 90.19 in the previous session.read more :- Rupee fell 23 paise to close at 90.19 per dollar

On Wednesday, the Indian rupee fell 23 paise to close at 90.19 per dollar, while its opening price in the morning was 89.96.The Sensex dipped 31.46 points or 0.04 percent to settle at 85,106.81. During the day, it dropped 374.63 points or 0.44 percent to 84,763.64. The Nifty skidded 46.20 points or 0.18 percent to 25,986.READ MORE :- Rupee slips below 90 against dollar

Rupee slips below 90 amid tariff pressure and capital outflowsMumbai: The Indian rupee on Wednesday slipped below the key psychological mark of 90 against the US dollar, extending its downward trend of the past eight months. Persistent dollar outflows linked to trade and investments, along with companies rushing to hedge against further depreciation, have weighed heavily on the currency.The rupee has emerged as one of Asia’s weaker performers this year, declining करीब 5% against the dollar. Steep US tariffs—reportedly up to 50% on certain Indian goods—have dented exports to its largest market, reducing the appeal of Indian equities for foreign investors.Notably, the currency has depreciated from 85 to 90 in less than a year—much faster than its earlier move from 80 to 85—highlighting the growing pressure.Foreign portfolio outflows have been significant, with investors pulling out nearly $17 billion from Indian equities so far this year. Alongside this, foreign direct investment (FDI) has also weakened. Although gross inflows touched $6.6 billion in September, large exits from IPO investments by private equity and venture capital firms have led to net outflows.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) noted that net FDI turned negative for the second consecutive month in September, mainly due to increased outward investments and repatriation.India’s trade deficit also widened sharply, driven by higher gold imports and elevated US tariffs, adding further strain on the rupee. Additionally, inflows from external borrowings and NRI deposits have slowed.Market participants say every phase of rupee depreciation—including the breach of the 90 mark—has triggered fresh dollar demand from importers, while exporters have held back dollar sales. This imbalance has left the currency vulnerable amid insufficient capital inflows.Experts suggest that a gradual weakening of the rupee can act as a natural stabilizer for the economy under higher tariff conditions.Ongoing uncertainty around India-US trade talks has further disrupted forex markets, increasing hedging activity by importers while exporters remain cautious, forcing the RBI to manage volatility.Despite intermittent interventions by the central bank, sustained dollar demand and capital outflows continue to exert pressure. RBI’s efforts are reflected in declining forex reserves and a rise in forward dollar positions, which recently touched a five-month high of $63.4 billion.

Punjab : 60% cotton brought to Punjab mandis sold below support price: DataBathinda : Nearly 61% of the cotton that arrived in Punjab's grain markets this year was bought below the minimum support price (MSP), with some stocks being sold for as low as Rs 3,000 per quintal, according to data shared by the Punjab State Agricultural Marketing Board.The MSP for cotton's medium stape is Rs 7,710 per quintal and long staple is Rs 8,110 per quintal. The cotton that is usually grown in Punjab has an MSP of Rs 8,010 per quintal.Cotton purchase season starts on Oct 1 every year. This year, cotton arrivals also fell sharply in the state, from 5.4 lakh quintals last year to 2.3 lakh quintals this time around.Of these 2.3 lakh qunitals, 35,348 quintals of cotton was bought by the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) and 1.95 lakh quintals by private traders. In all, 1.4 lakh quintals of cotton was purchased below MSP. The crop fetched a maximum price of Rs 7,860 per quintal and a minimum as low as Rs 3,000 per quintal.Cotton was grown on 1.19 lakh hectares of land in Punjab this year, but the crop was damaged due to floods in some areas. Last year, cotton was grown on 99,700 hectares.India Habit Index 2025 | Expert Opinions on Daily HabitsHowever, after the massive whitefly attack on the crop in 2015, cotton growing started losing its sheen in Punjab and reduced to as low as close to only 1 lakh hectares.CCI introduced an app from the 2025-26 season for transparency, naming it the Kapas Kisan app, making it mandatory for cotton purchases. Many farmers initially struggled to register on the Aadhar-based registration app, due to which CCI stayed away from making purchases in the initial part of the season. Farmers are required to upload valid land records and details of cotton-sowing areas certified by revenue or agriculture authorities. Farmers could go for self-registration on their mobiles.CCI informed all the Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) about the new digital registration process. Officials from CCI, not wanting to be named, stated that the corporation is making purchases with moisture content within limits from those farmers who registered through the Kapas Kisan app, and the records were verified by the state govt officials.read more :- Rupee opens 09 paise down at 89.96

 Rupee opens 09 paise down at 89.96 on persistent dollar demandThe rupee opened at 89.96 against the US dollar after ending the previous session at 89.87.read more :- CCI begins cotton procurement at Pavijetpur - relief to farmers

CCI begins cotton procurement in Pavijetpur: Farmers get relief at ₹8,069 per quintalThe Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) has begun cotton procurement in Pavijetpur, Chhota Udaipur district. Procurement at the support price has officially begun at Hariom Ginning.CCI has just begun cotton procurement at ₹8,069 per quintal. Farmers expect good returns on their crops at this price, leading to widespread happiness.To streamline the procurement process and maintain order, farmers are required to book a slot in advance. Only after booking a slot will their cotton be purchased by CCI. This arrangement will reduce the wait time for farmers and simplify the process.Considering the hard work and expense of cotton cultivation, the price of ₹8,069 announced this year is considered good compared to previous years. However, farmers still hope for better prices from the state and central governments.The start of procurement by CCI is likely to improve the economic condition of local farmers and have a positive impact on the market.read more :- CCI begins cotton procurement in Jesar taluka, farmers will get MSP price

Gujarat: CCI begins cotton procurement in Jesar taluka: Farmers will receive fair prices under MSPThe Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) has begun the cotton procurement process in areas including Jesar taluka. This procurement is being carried out under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) scheme announced by the government, and farmers are flocking to CCI procurement centers to sell their cotton.The primary objective of this procurement is to ensure that farmers receive a fair price for their produce and eliminate market price uncertainty. CCI is purchasing cotton at the government-determined rate.Payment will be made to farmers after the completion of the cotton weighing, quality checking, and other necessary procedures.As soon as the cotton procurement has begun, an atmosphere of happiness and satisfaction is being felt among the farmers in the area.read more :- Rupee closed down by 17 paisa at 89.87 per dollar