Telangana has emerged as the top state in cotton procurement for 2024-25, according to data released by the Centre on Tuesday.
Hyderabad:Telangana has emerged as the top state in cotton procurement for 2024-25, according to data released by the Centre on Tuesday.
The Union ministry of textiles, through its nodal agency the Cotton Corporation of India Ltd. (CCI), said that it had procured one crore bales of cotton, which is equivalent to 525 lakh quintals, under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) operations by March 31, 2025.
This procurement accounts for 38 per cent of the total cotton arrivals (263 lakh bales) and 34 per cent of the estimated total cotton production (294.25 lakh bales) in the country, marking a significant effort to stabilise cotton prices and support farmers.
Telangana led the country with the procurement of 40 lakh bales, followed by Maharashtra with 30 lakh bales and Gujarat with 14 lakh bales. Other states that saw substantial procurement include Karnataka (5 lakh bales), Madhya Pradesh (4 lakh bales), Andhra Pradesh (4 lakh bales), and Odisha (2 lakh bales). Northern states such as Haryana, Rajasthan, and Punjab together contributed 1.15 lakh bales to the total.
In all, the CCI has disbursed `37,450 crore to approximately 21 lakh cotton farmers across all major cotton-producing states.
In a media statement, the textiles ministry said, "This large-scale procurement reaffirms the government’s commitment to protecting farmers from market volatility through the MSP mechanism."
To ensure smooth and transparent operations, the CCI established 508 procurement centres across the country. Technological innovations have also enhanced the procurement process such as farmers now benefit from on-the-spot Aadhaar authentication, real-time SMS payment alerts, and 100 per cent direct benefit transfers via the National Automated Clearing House (NACH).
The "Cott-Ally" mobile app, launched in nine regional languages, allows farmers to track MSP rates, locate procurement centres, and monitor payment status. Additionally, all CCI-produced cotton bales are now traceable through QR codes enabled by blockchain technology, ensuring transparency and accountability throughout the supply chain.
