Cyclone Montha Severely Damages Andhra Pradesh Cotton Crop

29-Oct-2025 12:51 PM

Vijayawada. The severe cyclonic storm Montha is expected to cause significant damage to the cotton crop across a large area of ​​the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, just as harvesting preparations were about to begin.

Growers in Andhra Pradesh are already struggling due to delays in procurement by the government agency, the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), while the first spell of unseasonal rain has further exacerbated their worries and difficulties. Government cotton procurement was scheduled to begin today.

According to official data, the cotton sown area in Andhra Pradesh has increased to approximately 4.56 lakh hectares this year.

Cotton production was also estimated to improve to 15.23 lakh bales, but at least 30 percent of the crop is now expected to be damaged due to torrential rains and strong winds.

The major cotton producing districts in Andhra Pradesh include Kurnool, Palnadu, NTR, Guntur and Anantapur. Farmers were hoping that they would at least get a return on their input costs once the government procurement at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) began, but now this possibility is fading as the torrential rains have not only caused extensive damage to the crop but have also deteriorated its quality.

The minimum support price for cotton for the 2025-26 season has been fixed at Rs 7710 per quintal for the medium staple category and Rs 8110 per quintal for the long staple variety.