Hyderabad, Oct. 22 -- Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on Thursday directed officials to open cotton procurement centres for the 2026-27 Kharif marketing season, following last year's procedure, to ensure farmers receive the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and avoid delays in procurement.

At a review meeting with Marketing Department officials at the Secretariat, the Minister said the government's priority was to ensure remunerative prices, transparent procurement and timely payments. Telangana has cultivated cotton across 48.20 lakh acres this season, with an estimated production of 29.43 lakh metric tonnes.

The Centre has fixed the MSP at Rs 8,667 per quintal, while the prevailing market price in Telangana is around Rs 9...