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Cotton Farmers Face MSP Risk as Quality Declines Amid Unseasonal Rainfall
Cotton farmers across northern states like Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan, as well as southern states including Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, are confronting serious challenges this Kharif season due to abnormal rainfall, waterlogging, and pest infestations. These factors have severely impacted cotton quality, raising concerns over meeting the Fair Average Quality (FAQ) standards required by the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) to access the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
The South Asia Biotechnology Centre (SABC) has urged Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh and the Ministry of Agriculture to relax FAQ standards immediately to prevent losses for small and marginal farmers. Persistent waterlogging and pests such as pink bollworm, ball rot, and root rot have reduced both yield and fiber quality, affecting parameters like fiber strength, micronaire value, color, and grade.
Currently, the MSP is set at Rs 7,710 per quintal for medium-staple cotton and Rs 8,110 per quintal for long-staple cotton. Experts warn that failure to meet quality standards could force farmers to sell their produce at lower market prices, compounded by competition from cheaper imported cotton due to zero import duty.
SABC recommends procuring cotton at MSP even if quality is compromised, including raising permissible moisture content from 8% to 15%, relaxing grading standards, and allowing exemptions on fiber strength, micronaire value, and seed quality. Experts emphasize that immediate policy intervention is essential to safeguard farmer livelihoods amid climate-induced crop challenges and rising pest threats.
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Published: Sep 17, 2025
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