Telangana Government Urges CCI for Seamless Cotton Procurement
20-Aug-2026 04:09 PM
Hyderabad: The Telangana government has asked the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI)—an agency under the Union Ministry of Textiles—to ensure the smooth and uninterrupted procurement of cotton from farmers in the state during the upcoming marketing season. Despite initial apprehensions that the area under Kharif crop cultivation in Telangana would shrink due to the impact of El Niño and a weak monsoon, the total cultivated area actually increased by approximately 3 lakh acres, reaching 121 lakh acres. The acreage dedicated to cotton has remained largely normal.
Telangana's Agriculture Minister has directed owners of cotton ginning and pressing mills in the state to make their units operational within the next 2–3 weeks to ensure adequate storage space for the procured cotton.
Telangana is considered the third-largest cotton-producing state in India. This season, the vital industrial fiber crop has been cultivated across 47.71 lakh acres (19.31 lakh hectares), an area roughly equal to the five-year average. The condition of the crop is reported to be satisfactory.
The Agriculture Minister has instructed officials to form district-level monitoring committees—including farmers as members—and to extend full cooperation to the CCI during the cotton procurement process.
However, farmers have raised concerns regarding booking slots; previously, bookings made on the government app secured slots at the *mandal* (block) level, whereas now, slots may be allocated at the district level, which would cause inconvenience to farmers. The CCI is also preparing to procure cotton only at designated or specific procurement centers.
Farmers note that the deficit rainfall has had both negative and positive effects on the cotton crop; while there was some damage, the hot and dry weather prevented excessive weed growth in the cotton fields.
Acknowledging the farmers' concerns, the Agriculture Minister has urged the central government to improve the 'Kisan Cotton App' and incorporate features to address the farming community's grievances.