The Cotton Corporation of India’s (CCI) Aadhaar-based pre-registration system for cotton farmers, introduced this season through the new ‘Kapas Kisan’ mobile app, has hit major hurdles in Punjab, with farmers avoiding registration despite relaxed conditions and the state expecting more than 3 lakh quintals to arrive in mandis.
CCI had initially mandated uploading of fresh ‘girdwari’ (records of cotton cultivation) verified by the revenue department for farmers to become eligible for procurement based on the Minimum Support Price (MSP). However, following media reports and requests from the Punjab Government, the Central Government relaxed the norm in the third week of October. Farmers are now allowed to upload land records based on seed-subsidy data, as the state provided a 33 per cent subsidy on Bt cotton seeds this year and holds complete acreage records.
“The relaxation has been done, but the purchase is happening based on the registration being done by the farmer through the app. We are open to purchasing the stock which has 12 per cent moisture,” said an officer with the CCI, Bathinda office.
CCI procurement remains negligible
However, CCI procurement remains negligible. To date, around 4,000 quintals have been purchased, as against the agriculture department’s expected arrival of an estimated 2 lakh bales (more than 3 lakh quintals) this season. Private players are dominating purchases, largely below MSP.
According to CCI, registered farmers who book slots through the app are eligible to sell under MSP, with a seven-day rolling slot-booking system introduced to manage crowds.
Punjab’s major cotton-growing districts include Muktsar, Bathinda, Mansa, and Fazilka. The state’s cotton acreage, though slightly higher this year at 1.19 lakh hectares (target: 1.29 lakh ha) when compared to 2024, remains much below earlier levels. Acreage has fallen sharply from 3.35 lakh hectares in 2019 to 1.79 lakh hectares in 2023. CCI officials also doubt the estimate of 2 lakh bales due to crop loss from waterlogging and floods. In 2024, the area under cotton cultivation was 99,000 hectares.
“Farmers were busy in the paddy procurement season, and now it is at its fag end. Hence, we are expecting more registrations through the Kapas Kisan app, and accordingly, purchases will increase. We have no hassles in buying; the farmer has to do the registration through the app,” officials said.
But on the ground, farmers are reluctant. “The farmers are finding self-registration through the Kapas Kisan app a hassle and hence are preferring to sell it to private players. Many farmers don’t even have their old bills of seeds purchased on subsidy; many are not tech-savvy and prefer the old-school way,” said Sukhmandar Singh, president, BKU Rajewal (Fazilka).
Abohar-based farmer Sukhjinder Singh Rajan said, “It is nice that norms to register through Kapas Kisan app have been relaxed… but the department of agriculture needs to find out why farmers are still not selling through CCI.”
The ‘Kapas Kisan’ app
‘Kapas Kisan’ app, available on both Android and iOS platforms, requires farmers to upload valid land records and details of cotton sowing areas, certified by revenue or agriculture authorities. The idea behind the introduction of this app was to bring transparency in maintaining land records, cotton arrival, and the purchases accordingly.
What the stats say
Market arrivals underline the trend. As of November 10, 54,900 quintals of cotton had arrived in Fazilka, but CCI purchased only 2,000 quintals; the rest went to private buyers. In Mansa, 21,230 quintals arrived, with CCI buying just 139 quintals. In Bathinda, 34,606 quintals of cotton had arrived in the mandis till November 10, with 117 quintals purchased by CCI. Sources revealed that overall arrivals are likely to be much lower than earlier projections, as a portion of the crop was damaged during the floods while the agriculture department’s estimates were prepared before the flooding occurred.
MSP this year ranges from ₹7,545 to ₹7,860 per quintal, but private purchases continue below MSP. CCI has extended the deadline for registration on the app from October 31 to December 31.
