State urges Centre to relax moisture content norm for cotton procurement at MSP

HYDERABAD

Minister for Agriculture Tummala Nageswara Rao asked the farming community who raised cotton crops during the Kharif season to ensure that they get the produce with a maximum of 12% moisture content to the procurement centres to get the minimum support price (MSP) of ₹8,110 per quintal.

He, however, requested the Centre to relax the maximum moisture content norm and direct the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) to procure cotton with higher moisture content at MSP to help the farming community as rains are occurring all along the harvesting/cotton picking period so far.

In a letter addressed to Union Minister for Textiles Giriraj Singh, Mr. Rao stated that the 2025-26 cotton marketing season in Telangana had commenced earlier this month. He stated that there would be a marginal decline in the overall cotton production and the current market trends were indicating a downward movement in the global cotton prices.

Mr. Nageswara Rao stated that the area under cotton cultivation in the State this year is 45.32 lakh acres and the estimated production is 28.29 lakh tonnes. The moisture content in the cotton harvested in October and November would range between 12% to 20% due to the prevailing wet/rainy weather conditions. But, the CCI is procuring cotton with a moisture content ranging from 8% to 12%.

Farmers have represented to the State government that the moisture content norm is causing hardship to them in getting MSP for their produce and requested for enhancement of the permissible moisture limit. Mr. Nageswara Rao requested Mr. Giriraj Singh to consider moisture content up to 20% in cotton procurement so as to ensure that farmers get the MSP for their produce.