The Cotton Corporation of India Ltd (CCI) has successfully procured 525 lakh quintals of seed cotton, equivalent to 100 lakh bales, under Minimum Support Price (MSP) operations during the current cotton season 2024-25, up to March 31.

The CCI is the nodal agency of the Government of India under the Ministry of Textiles.

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This procurement accounts for 38% of the total cotton arrivals of 263 lakh bales and 34% of the estimated total cotton production of 294.25 lakh bales in the country.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Textiles, the CCI has opened 508 procurement centres nationwide to facilitate efficient procurement.

Several digital initiatives have been implemented, including on-spot Aadhaar authentication, SMS notifications for payments, and 100% direct payments through the National Automated Clearing House (NACH).

The Cott-Ally mobile app, available in nine regional languages, enables farmers to access real-time information on MSP rates, procurement centres, and payment tracking.

Further, all cotton bales produced by CCI are traceable via QR codes using blockchain technology to ensure transparency and accountability.

Among the states, Telangana has recorded the highest procurement at 40 lakh bales, followed by Maharashtra with 30 lakh bales and Gujarat with 14 lakh bales.

Other states with significant procurement include Karnataka (5 lakh bales), Madhya Pradesh (4 lakh bales), Andhra Pradesh (4 lakh bales), and Odisha (2 lakh bales). Procurement in Haryana, Rajasthan, and Punjab stands at 1.15 lakh bales.

In total, Rs 37,450 crore has been paid to approximately 21 lakh cotton farmers across all cotton-producing states.