Cotton procurement picks up as Telangana ginning mills reopen after two-day strike

Cotton procurement resumed across Telangana after a two-day ginning mill strike, bringing relief to farmers. Over one lakh quintals arrived at major markets on Wednesday. Prices ranged between Rs.7,500 and Rs.8,050. Industry leaders continue to demand changes to CCI procurement norms

Hyderabad: Cotton procurement activities regained pace across Telangana on Wednesday as ginning mills reopened their gates following a two-day strike that left thousands of farmers worried. The strike, held on November 17 and 18, saw all 323 operational ginning mills in the State cease processing in protest against what industry leaders described as restrictive procurement norms set by the Cotton Corporation of India.

Major cotton markets in Adilabad, Warangal, Karimnagar and Nalgonda districts witnessed a surge in arrivals after operations resumed on Wednesday morning. Farmers who had queued for days to offload their harvest expressed relief as trade activities resumed and ginning mills, which play a crucial role in initial cotton processing, began accepting fresh produce. According to unofficial estimates, over one lakh quintals of cotton arrived at major markets on Wednesday alone, marking one of the highest daily arrivals this season. Prices offered to growers ranged between Rs.7,500 and Rs.8,050 per quintal, with well-dried stocks fetching higher rates close to the CCI’s Minimum Support Price.

---

The temporary standstill, triggered by demands for relaxation of stringent moisture norms, procurement caps and changes to the CCI’s tender classification system, left both farmers and traders anxious. Bommineni Ravinder Reddy, State president of the Cotton Association, confirmed that over 270 ginning mills had resumed operations by Wednesday morning, while the remainder were expected to be operational within two days.