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Promote biotechnology in cotton cultivation
Farmers in the district have asked the state government to help in making modern biotechnology based advancements in cotton cultivation available to cotton growers in Warangal as well as those in other districts of the state. A large group of farmers on Monday took out a rally from Kakatiya University Arts and Science College to the Collectorate and submitted
Warangal: Farmers in the district have asked the state government to help in making modern biotechnology based advancements in cotton cultivation available to cotton growers in Warangal as well as those in other districts of the state. A large group of farmers on Monday took out a rally from Kakatiya University Arts and Science College to the Collectorate and submitted memorandum to the District Administration in support of their demand.
They said majority of farmers in Telangana state had been engaged in cotton cultivation. In Warangal district, about 65 to 70 per cent of farmers cultivate cotton as main crop. In recent times the input costs had gone up significantly. The introduction of employment guarantee scheme had led to non-availability of agricultural labourers. That in turn had led to great increase in labour charges. Besides that farmers were not able to hire labourers when required, they explained.
In cotton crop, weed management became a big challenge, said Orugallu District Rythu Sangham President Gopu Somi Reddy who led the farmers’ rally. As farmers were unable to control the weed in time it has been leading to about 30 to 50 percent fall in yield.
The weeds were also causing heavy financial loss by consuming water and costly fertilisers meant for main crop. Hence the state government should come up with plans to introduce biotechnology based weed control mechanism for the benefit of cotton farmers, he suggested.
Advancements in biotechnology based weed control had been taking place across the globe in cotton cultivation, but the technology was not available to the farmers. Therefore the government should intervene to help the cotton farmers by brining such technology at their doorsteps, he added.
Somi Reddy, who is also the president of Pratapa Rudra Mutually Aided Cooperative Credit and Marketing Federation Limited, sought hike in the minimum support price for cotton. These measures would make agriculture a profitable profession and thus the young generation could be encouraged to take up farming, he said.
The Rythu Sangham leaders urged the government to set up a cotton research centre and a textile unit in Warangal district for the benefit of farmers and to create employment opportunities.
