Punjab’s cotton belt has witnessed a major turnaround this season, largely due to the swift and decisive action of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s administration. Farmers, who at one point feared heavy financial losses, are now receiving prices that nearly match the Minimum Support Price. This shift did not happen on its own but through deliberate intervention by the state government.
The improvement in cotton prices became visible only after the Cotton Corporation of India was pushed into action. The Punjab government contacted the agency as soon as the market situation began deteriorating. Once CCI entered the mandis and began purchasing in substantial quantities, traders increased their bids, and the market stabilised. According to the Punjab Mandi Board, narma cotton is now fetching over ₹7,500 per quintal, moving close to the MSP of ₹7,710. Desi varieties have also risen in tandem, offering much-needed relief to farmers.
This sharp rise was a dramatic contrast to the early weeks of the marketing season. When the first lots arrived, private buyers were quoting only ₹5,700 to ₹6,800 per quintal. These figures caused widespread anxiety because they were far below MSP. The state government responded immediately, acting on the Chief Minister’s directive to ensure that no grower would be forced to sell at distress prices.
A key reason for the renewed confidence among cotton farmers has been the increase in actual procurement. Last year at this time, CCI’s presence in Punjab was negligible. This season tells a very different story. More than 35,000 quintals have already been purchased by the agency, compared with only 170 quintals during the same period last year. Such active procurement has created a positive market sentiment, preventing prices from crashing further.
Another encouraging trend is that cotton arrivals have exceeded the previous year’s total by more than one lakh quintals, even though several districts suffered heavy rain and flooding. Farmers have continued investing in cotton, and the present outcome shows that they trust the state government’s agricultural policies. More than 2,30,000 quintals of cotton had been sold by December 1, and while a majority of it was initially purchased below MSP, the arrival of CCI completely reversed that scenario.
At the heart of the government’s strategy is a simple principle: farmers must never be left vulnerable to market fluctuations. Ensuring that their crops fetch fair prices and that their income remains secured has been a central priority for the Mann administration. By stepping in quickly at a critical moment, the government demonstrated that it is fully prepared to take strong action whenever farmers’ livelihoods are at stake.
Punjab’s growers now stand on firmer economic ground, and the agricultural community sees this episode as a clear sign of a government committed to their prosperity and dignity.
