Telangana Sets Up 131 CCI Centres for Hassle-Free Cotton Procurement

Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao has directed officials to ensure that cotton farmers face no difficulties during the 2026–27 procurement season, stressing that procurement must remain transparent and every farmer should receive the Minimum Support Price (MSP) without being exploited by intermediaries.

Tummala reviewed preparations with Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) officials at Golconda Hotel in Hyderabad and said protecting farmers from distress sales should be the top priority. Officials were asked to closely monitor procurement centres and ensure that farmers can sell their produce directly without middlemen influencing prices.

Cotton is expected to be cultivated across nearly 46.33 lakh acres in Telangana this season, with production projected at around 25.85 lakh metric tonnes. The Centre has fixed the MSP for Long Staple Cotton at ₹8,667 per quintal, ₹557 higher than last year's rate. Tummala instructed officials to ensure that no farmer is forced to sell below the assured price.

To handle the expected arrivals, 356 ginning mills have been notified across different categories. The Minister directed authorities to operationalise mills according to local requirements and make them available across districts within 15 to 30 days. Areas without mills should be connected to the nearest notified facilities to minimise transportation difficulties for farmers.

The number of CCI procurement centres has been increased from 122 to 131 this season. Tummala called for additional centres in areas expecting heavy arrivals and asked officials to extend procurement hours beyond 6 pm wherever necessary to prevent delays and overcrowding.

He also instructed District Collectors to ensure that monitoring committees function effectively, with farmer representatives included in the process. Officials should regularly inspect procurement centres and resolve problems on the spot rather than allowing farmers to face repeated delays.

Technology-based procurement arrangements also came under scrutiny. Tummala directed officials to simplify slot booking on the Kapas Kisan app, provide multiple barcode facilities where required and speed up the transfer of crop-booking data through the National Informatics Centre (NIC).

He further ordered that digitally verified certificates be issued promptly to farmers recording higher yields. All ginning mills must have quality-testing equipment, while procurement centres should be equipped with CCTV cameras and weighing machines.

The Minister asked authorities to create widespread awareness about MSP, quality standards, procurement centres and slot booking. Farmers can also seek assistance through the 1800 599 5779 toll-free helpline and 88972 81111 WhatsApp chatbot.