Continuous rains dash hopes of cotton farmers

Mahbubnagar: The incessant rains for the last one month in Mahbubnagar district have dampened the hopes of cotton farmers as they are struggling to get minimum support price for their cotton produce in the markets.

The rains have soaked the cotton crop which is on the verge of its harvest. Though the cotton farmers have got good agriculture yield due to abundant rains this time, however, the same rains which have continued until the harvesting time played havoc with the fortunes of the farmers, who were expecting good returns this time.

Even though there are large quantities of cotton coming to various market yards in Devarkadra, Jadcherla and Mahbubnagar city, however the traders are not willing to pay more than Rs 2,500 to 3,000 per quintal as they are complaining of high humidity content in the cotton.

"We were expecting a price of about Rs 5,500 to Rs 6,500 per quintal of cotton. But the traders are not giving us that support price and buying at a meager rate of Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 per quintal depending on the humidity in the cotton.

The main reason for this humid cotton is due to continuous rains. With high humidity in the air, the farmers who have stocked their cotton in gowdowns and storage houses is also turning yellowish and ultimately the traders are not giving good price," poured his woe, a farmer in Jadcherla cotton market.

Recently with the intervention of Mahbubnagar MP, Manne Srinivas Reddy, the Central government had decided to open up a cotton procurement centre by Cotton Corporation of India in Jadcherla market yard.

With this, the farmers were expecting minimum support price. However, the market authorities are citing high humidity content in the cotton and not offering MSP. Due to which, farmers are under deep stress and depression.

The farmers also went on a protest recently demanding MSP for cotton and urged the cotton market yard authorities to take up the procurement process.

However, the market yard officials have tried to buy the cotton from the farmers, and they could procure about 1,100 quintals. With high humidity content, they also stopped procuring the cotton and are observing wait and watch strategy.

"The cotton coming in the market is consisting of high humidity. With this, the price offered to the farmers is also very less. So, we have stopped the procurement process. We are waiting for some sunny days to come to start the procurement," said a market yard official at the CCI procurement centre in Jadcherla.

This year, overall across Telangana, the farmers have sown cotton over an extent of 18.6 lakh hectares. This is about more than one lakh hectares compared to previous year.

In Mahbubnagar district alone, the farmers had sown cotton over an extent of 2.84 lakh hectares and have yielded good produce.