iGrain India - The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) has launched the cotton procurement season for 2024-25 in Madhya Pradesh, opening 21 purchase centers across the state, with 11 of them already operational.
These centers have been set up to buy cotton from farmers at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), which is Rs 7121 per quintal for medium staple cotton and Rs 7521 per quintal for long staple cotton.
The purchase process has officially started, though it is currently slow due to high moisture content in the newly harvested cotton. Farmers are expected to see more favorable prices as the moisture level decreases.
The Cotton Corporation of India expects the moisture content in the cotton to gradually reduce, which will likely lead to an increase in the pace of purchases.
Currently, cotton from major producing areas like Damoh, Khargone, Bikangaon, Barwah, and Khandwa is being bought. In Khargone Mandi, around 12,000 to 15,000 quintals of cotton are arriving daily.
Last year, during the 2023-24 marketing season, CCI purchased approximately 6.35 lakh quintals of cotton in Madhya Pradesh, and officials anticipate higher purchases this year as the moisture content normalizes.
The establishment of purchase centers in key areas is expected to help streamline the procurement process, benefiting local farmers by providing a guaranteed price for their cotton.