Cotton growers left in lurch

Adilabad: Farmers cultivating cotton crop in the district are facing miserable conditions these days. Adilabad is famous for growing cotton. Expecting high yields and profits, the farmers invested heavily and started sowing cotton. With the state government not releasing any loans, they forced to approach moneylenders who were lending money and extracting exorbitant interests on loans.

Cotton crop withered away because of drought conditions. As a result, the cotton crop, which used to yield eight to ten quintals every year, fell drastically to two to three quintals this year. Farmers, who spent lakhs of rupees on the crop, incurred heavy losses.

The moneylenders, who lent them on heavy rates of interest, started pressurising them to repay the loans. Unable to clear their debts, nearly 100 farmers committed suicide in the district. Speaking to the media here on Saturday, Dattu, a leader of the farmers, bemoaned that the income that they earned was not sufficient even to repay the interest on the loans.

He said the moneylenders were collecting 5 per cent interest on loans while the state government failed to release Rs 538 crore as promised. They did not receive the loans for the Kharif season yet, he said and added that the government should at least release money for the Rabi season to mitigate the sufferings of the farmers.