Guntur: Cotton fetches Rs 10,000 per quintal as demand surges

Guntur: While the cotton demand is rising across the world, the farmers in the district have no stock to sell due to poor yield. Due to inadequate production price of quality cotton skyrocketed this season. The quality cotton is being sold at Rs 10,000 per quintal in the market which is a record price during this season. Cotton price has increased from Rs 7,500 per quintal to Rs 10,000 per quintal, due to increase of demand for quality cotton in the market.

If the same situation prevails, prices may go up further and likely to touch Rs 12,000 per quintal mark.

According to sources, cotton sowing area reduced to over 1 lakh acres in Guntur district due to lack of remunerative price for cotton during the last season. When the chilli price touched Rs 16,000 per quintal during the last season, the cotton farmer shifted to chilli crop. To make matters worse, the suffered the pink bollworm attack and unseasonal rains in the district.

As a result, the cotton yield was affected. Generally, farmers will get 15 quintals to 20 quintals yield per acre. Due to pink bollworm attack and rains, cotton farmers got only five to seven quintals yield per acre. The traders are offering the lower price for inferior quality yield.

Due to Covid-19, cotton consumption increased across the globe. Cotton is being used for making face masks, hand gloves and PPE kits. As a result, the demand for cotton increased. When the demand increased, cotton stocks were exhausted.

An official in the Agriculture Marketing Department, T Bhaskar Reddy said, "Demand for quality cotton is increasing. Taking this into consideration, the traders are offering better price for quality cotton."

K Sambasiva Rao, a farmer said, "Due to heavy rains and pink bollworm attack, we got very much less yield. I got seven quintals yield per acre and got inferior quality of the cotton. Traders are offering lower price for inferior quality of the cotton."