India’s Textiles Ministry rolls out Kharif cotton plan with 550 hubs

India’s Ministry of Textiles, under Secretary Neelam Shami Rao, has launched a decisive preparedness plan for the 2025–26 Kharif Cotton Season, including the highest-ever 550 procurement centres across 11 cotton-growing regions, digital farmer registration via the ‘Kapas-Kisaan’ app, and strict minimum support price (MSP) operational guidelines to ensure transparent, efficient, and farmer-centric procurement.

Recognising cotton as a critical sector for millions of farmers, the ministry, in a meeting with cotton-growing states, the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), and ministry officials, outlined a national strategy aimed at ensuring hassle-free procurement, timely payments, and digital inclusion, while urging states to fully align with MSP operational norms.

India’s Ministry of Textiles, led by Secretary Neelam Shami Rao, has launched a preparedness plan for the 2025–26 Kharif Cotton Season, featuring 550 procurement centres across 11 states and digital registration via the ‘Kapas-Kisaan’ app.
Procurement begins in October in phases across zones, with payments made directly to Aadhaar-linked accounts to ensure transparency.

Procurement is scheduled in phases—Northern Zone (Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan) from October 1, Central Zone (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha) from October 15, and Southern Zone (Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu) from October 21, 2025, the Ministry of Textiles said in a press release.

The ministry emphasised the adoption of the ‘Kapas-Kisaan’ app, which allows farmers to self-register, book slots, and track payments in real time. States have been asked to run awareness campaigns to maximise participation, with registration open until October 31, 2025. Existing users in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana must verify their records on the app.

Payments will be made directly to Aadhaar-linked bank accounts via NACH, with SMS alerts sent at every stage. Local Monitoring Committees (LMCs) will oversee operations at each centre, and CCI has set up dedicated WhatsApp helplines for quick grievance redressal.

Secretary urged states to expedite sharing of cotton cultivation records to facilitate registrations. She stressed that inter-ministerial coordination, state support, and digital outreach are key to ensuring every cotton farmer receives a fair price, timely service, and grievance redressal under a modern, accountable procurement system. Therefore, all eligible cotton farmers were strongly advised to register promptly and leverage digital tools to avoid distress sales, added the release.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)