Centre sympathetic to cotton farmers’ woes: Atchanna

Vijayawada: Agriculture, cooperation, animal husbandry, marketing, dairy and fisheries minister K Atchannaidu said the Centre responded positively to the proposals earlier sent by the state government to resolve the problems faced by cotton farmers in the state.

In a statement on Tuesday, the minister said that the Union government had already taken decisions on six key recommendations submitted earlier and initiated the implementation of three of them, paving the way for smoother cotton procurement this season. Procurement centres have begun operations in phases, and the buying process is underway, he added.

He said that due to the impact of Cyclone Montha, the quality of cotton has deteriorated and does not meet the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) standards, putting farmers in distress.

In this context, the state urged the Centre to address three pending issues: simultaneous opening of L1, L2, and L3 ginning mills; procurement of cotton with higher moisture content of 12 per cent–18 per cent with proportional price deductions and purchase of rain-soaked or discoloured cotton with suitable price adjustments. Atchannaidu said he had explained the urgency of these matters to Union textiles minister Giriraj Singh, requesting immediate relief for farmers.

He stated that Giriraj Singh responded positively and assured favourable decisions soon. “We will continue to follow up until farmers’ issues are fully resolved and ensure that the Centre takes steps that deliver justice to every farmer,” he said.

For the 2025–26 kharif season, cotton has been cultivated on 5.39 lakh hectare across Andhra Pradesh, with an expected production of around 8 lakh metric tonne.

The state government has issued clear guidelines to ensure that CCI purchases cotton at Minimum Support Price (MSP). A district-level committee led by the joint collector has been constituted to monitor procurement, along with field-level committees at each centre under district marketing officials.

The state has designated 11 market yards and 64 ginning mills as procurement centres. So far, 19 ginning mills have procured 72,240 quintals of cotton worth Rs 56.59 crore from 2,793 farmers.

However, Atchannaidu noted that full-scale procurement will take time due to high moisture levels, incomplete harvesting in some districts, and farmers waiting to combine first and second pickings before selling.

He directed agricultural extension officers (VAAs) to assist farmers with slot booking on the Kapas Kisan and CM apps to ensure smooth procurement operations across the state.