Telangana has ordered the opening of cotton procurement centres for the 2026-27 Kharif marketing season, with the State government directing officials to ensure purchases at the minimum support price, faster payments and adequate logistics for farmers.
Agriculture and Marketing Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao reviewed the arrangements at the Secretariat on Thursday and instructed the Marketing Department to coordinate with the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI). Officials have also been asked to monitor market prices, procurement progress, quality testing, transportation and storage.
The Centre has fixed the cotton MSP at Rs 8,667 a quintal for the current season. Telangana’s prevailing model market price is around Rs 9,000 a quintal, supported by high demand and reduced production, according to the report. Farmers can sell through the open market when prices are above the MSP and approach CCI procurement centres if market rates fall below it.
Telangana cultivated cotton on 48.20 lakh acres this season, with production estimated at 29.43 lakh metric tonnes. To handle the procurement season, the CCI has increased its centres in the State from 122 to 133. Separately, 335 of Telangana’s 356 ginning mills have been notified as purchase centres across 30 districts.
The arrangement places the procurement burden on a distributed network of market yards, ginning facilities and transport links rather than on a small number of central facilities. The centres have been instructed to maintain adequate infrastructure for receiving cotton, testing quality, arranging transportation and storing produce. The State and district-level committees will monitor both market prices and procurement progress.
The government is also using digital systems to track farmers and payments. These include the Kapas Kisan app, online payments and farmer verification mechanisms. As of October 21, details relating to 12.75 lakh farmers had been linked to the app, according to the report.
The digital layer is intended to improve visibility over who is eligible to sell, how much produce has been procured and when payments are released. Farmers can seek procurement and payment information through the Marketing Department’s toll-free helpline, 1800-599-5779, and WhatsApp service at 8897281111. Help desks are to be established at market yards to address grievances.
The State has also called for proposals to expand cotton processing, spinning and oil industries. The proposed expansion is aimed at strengthening local demand and improving returns to farmers by linking procurement with processing capacity within Telangana.
Farmers have been advised to check cotton moisture levels and quality before bringing their produce to procurement centres, in accordance with CCI standards. The immediate procurement arrangements will therefore depend not only on the number of centres notified, but also on their ability to test, move, store and pay for cotton within the season’s operating schedule.
