Cotton farmers reaping miseries

Thadikonda(Guntur): Cotton farmers are a disappointed lot with government paying scant attention to their grievances. Farmers in cotton basins districts of Prakasham, Guntur and, Krishna districts are lamenting over a mere Rs 50 hike on a quintal of cotton, compared with last year. The government’s decision to pay online for farmers selling the produce has also added to their misery.

Although the committee appointed by the Union government had recommended Rs 7,700 per quintal, the government increased the remunerative price by only Rs 50, taking the last year’s price of Rs 4050 to Rs 4,100 per quintal this year. With most of the cotton farmers being tenant farmers, who do not make the cut for receiving payments online, there has been a demand not to make online payment mandatory.

As per norms, only legal owners of the land receive government on a piece of land but not tenant farmers. However, the government ignored the request, leaving them in a lurch. To rein in on middlemen, indulging in corruption, the government has decided to purchase the produce directly from farmers. For the purpose, six Cotton Corporation of India centres were set in Sattenapalle, Pidugurala, Nadikudu, Macherla, Narasannapeta and Thadikonda in the district.

The government has mandated that only farmers, who submit Loan Eligibility Card, bank passbook, and Aadhaar details can become eligible for receiving online payments. But almost no tenant farmer has these documents, and hence only land owners can receive the payments. Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Pulla Rao said farmers would payments by November 15.