CCI to continue government procurement of cotton till April
By yash chouhan 2026-02-24 14:04:09
CCI Cotton Procurement: CCI will buy cotton till April
Nagpur: This year, due to prolonged duration of monsoon, the cotton season has been completely spoiled, which is directly impacting the MSP procurement process. In view of this, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has written a letter to Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh demanding extension of the MSP procurement deadline till April 30, 2026.
The Chief Minister has informed in the letter that Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) has fixed February 27 as the last date for cotton procurement for the 2025-26 season. However, this year due to delay in monsoon season till September-October, cotton harvesting started late. In many areas, cotton bolls were affected due to rain, while at some places harvesting had to be stopped due to moisture.
Because of this, the regular arrival of cotton in the market has started increasing only after January. Cotton is still standing in many fields in Vidarbha, Marathwada and Khandesh, and some farmers have found time to store their stock due to delays in power supply and the ginning process.
Every year, CCI continues its procurement till the end of March, but this year, the deadline has been set at February 27, making it difficult for farmers to sell in a short period of time. Although the current guaranteed price of cotton is around Rs 8,000 per quintal, the actual market price has declined by Rs 400 to Rs 500. There is a fear that if CCI stops purchasing, private traders will reduce prices even further.
The Chief Minister has made it clear that CCI's continuous intervention is necessary to keep market prices stable, as small and medium farmers, especially, will be forced to sell their crops at lower prices as they need immediate cash.
Meanwhile, Hinganghat Agricultural Produce Market Committee, known as the main cotton market in Vidarbha, has also taken a stand on the issue. Market Committee Chairman Sudhir Kothari and the Board of Directors have sent a letter to CCI and the government demanding extension of the cotton purchase deadline till at least March 31. He said that there is restlessness among the farmers due to the fall in the market price, whereas at present the guaranteed price is Rs 8,000.
Milind Damle, head of the Traders and Technology Alliance of the Farmers Association, also demanded extension of the procurement time, saying the harvest was getting delayed due to the longer season. If the procurement is stopped early then the purpose of the MSP scheme will remain incomplete and the confidence of the farmers will be shaken. In such a situation, CCI should keep interfering in the market and the procurement time should be extended till the end of April, this is the unanimous demand of the farmers and market committees.
