Adilabad: Cotton growers in crisis due to unseasonable rains, pest attack

Cotton growers in crisis due to unseasonable rains, pest attack
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Cotton growers in crisis due to unseasonable rains, pest attack 

Highlights

The hopes of cotton growers were doomed due to pink bollworm attack, unseasonal rains, low produce etc, in the district. The farmers had faced 60 per cent loss this year due to the pink bollworm pest.

Adilabad: The hopes of cotton growers were doomed due to pink bollworm attack, unseasonal rains, low produce etc, in the district. The farmers had faced 60 per cent loss this year due to the pink bollworm pest.

The cotton corporation of India (CCI) issued orders to reduce the price by Rs 50 per quintal due to low quality of cotton. Earlier the government has fixed minimum support price (MSP) at Rs 5,825 per quintal with 8 per cent moisture. If the moisture content is high, then they will purchase with a cut of Rs 58.25 per one per cent. The CCI will purchase cotton with less than 12% moisture only.

The farmers alleged that it's unfair to impose another Rs 50 cut per quintal on the pretext of low quality. Cotton has been cultivated in about 11.80 lakh acres in the joint district of Adilabad

Due to various reasons, cotton production was reduced drastically and the yield reduced from 10 quintals per acre to 3 to 4 quintals per acre, making it difficult for the farmers even to get the investment.

Meanwhile, as winter season began, moisture content of cotton increases due to morning snowfall. To reduce moisture content, farmers are drying cotton for two to three days after picking the yield.

In fact. Cotton price is determined based on moisture content and claw length. For cotton with moisture content of 8% and claw length 30 mm, the price was decided at Rs 5,825 per quintal for the last few years.

The CCI officials said that this year due the unseasonal rains and pest, the claw

size was reduced, which led to cut the support price to Rs 5,775 per quintal and

cotton farmers were disagreeing with the authorities over this.

Speaking with The Hans India, District Rythu Sangam leader Bandi Dattatri criticised the CCI authorities for reducing the price by Rs 50 per quintal. Cotton quality was reduced due unseasonal rains and pest attack and the government has to purchase the produce with minimum support price to help the farmers, who are in losses already with low production, he demanded.

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