Cotton prices firm up as import duty is restored

With the government not extending the 11 % import work exemption connected fabric beyond December 31, 2025, the terms of home fabric is firming up.

Price of the widely-used Shankar-6 assortment of fabric was ₹52,500 a candy connected December 15, ₹53,500 connected December 27, ₹53,800 connected December 30, and ₹54,000 connected Saturday (January 3).

India imported astir 30 lakh bales from October 1 to December 31, 2025. Right now, imported fabric terms volition beryllium higher for the Indian textile mills. However, prime of Indian fabric is affected this twelvemonth due to the fact that of unseasonal rains and if the prices increase, the Indian textile mills volition not beryllium capable to vie successful the planetary market. The farmers volition not beryllium affected by removal of the import work arsenic the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) is purchasing fabric from them astatine the Minimum Support Price (MSP), said Nishant Asher, caput of the Indian Cotton Federation.

Chairman and Managing Director of the CCI Lalit Kumar Gupta told The Hindu that it procured 67 lakh bales of fabric from the farmers astatine MSP from October to extremity of December 2025 arsenic against 57 lakh bales for the aforesaid play of 2024. “Almost 45 lakh farmers and 2,000 ginners are registered connected our mobile app,” helium said.

The CCI purchased astir 100 lakh bales of fabric from the farmers astatine MSP past fabric play (October 2024 to September 2025) and expects to acquisition a larger quantity this year. It volition commencement selling the fabric with it soon truthful that textile mills person prime fabric during the highest season, helium said.