CCI unlikely to source cotton from Tamil Nadu this year

The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), which is buying cotton at Minimum Support Price (MSP) from the farmers in all the major cotton growing States, is unlikely to buy cotton from the farmers in Tamil Nadu this year.

A senior official of the CCI told The Hindu on Friday that it purchased 67 lakh bales of cotton from farmers in October, November, and December 2025, paying the MSP. There are three main norms that should be met by a State so that the CCI can purchase cotton from the farmers. Area under cotton in a taluk should be minimum 3,000 hectares and there should be a ginning factory and a market centre in that area. In Tamil Nadu, there is no cotton ginning factory close to the growing centre. Even if the farmers brought the cotton to the ginning factory by bearing the transport cost, there should be a system to verify the quality of the cotton they bring.

In States such as Andhra Pradesh, these norms are met. “We identified nine locations in Tamil Nadu to open procurement centres and finalised four locations. If the farmers and the State government are able to meet the norms, the CCI will procure cotton at MSP from the farmers,” the official said.

With a drop in cotton prices in the open market, the CCI purchasing cotton at MSP has supported farmers in States such as Telangana, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. In Tamil Nadu cotton is grown in two seasons and the farmers are selling at less than the MSP.

The farmers should look at bearing the transport cost and bringing cotton to the ginning factory rather than selling at a lower price to traders, the official said.

Tamil Nadu is said to produce 3.5 lakh bales to five lakh bales of cotton annually.