Revanth demands support price for cotton

Hyderabad: The TPCC president and MP Revanth Reddy has written an open letter to Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao about the support price for cotton and about farmers' problems.

The State Congress chief said the State government, which has to stand by the farmers and provide support price for their hard earned crops was least bothered when the middlemen are deceiving the farmers and becoming a hurdle to gain better support prices. "Only the traders and middlemen have the say to decide the support prices in the markets. There was no response from the State government even if the farmers are on roads demanding support prices. To whom should the farmers tell their problems, if the government remained careless about the issues of these harassed farmers".

Revanth Reddy stated that the farmers' happiness after seeing the cultivated cotton that has survived the rains and pests, vanishes when they see the prices in the market. In the rule of middlemen, the condition of farmers has become so pitiful that they are forced to protest on roads for support prices.

He stated farmers are worried as they are paid only Rs 6000 to 7000 per quintal. Considering the input costs, the support price should be at least Rs 15,000 per quintal. On the other hand, the farmers in the State are facing challenging problems. "Lack of proper agricultural policy, lack of crop planning, disabled systems in guiding farmers, poor implementation of credit schemes, lack of quality seeds and pesticides, lack of support during natural calamities and crop damage caused by pests have dragged agriculture and farmers into crisis", he added.

Revanth Reddy criticised that due to Chief Minister KCR's poor farmer policies, an average of two farmers are forced to commit suicide every day across the State. National Crime Bureau (NCRB) figures say that Telangana ranks fourth in farmer suicides. According to this report, from 2014 to 2021, 6,557 farmers committed suicide across the State. A study conducted by an NGO concluded that 512 farmers across the State took their lives in the last 11 months up to November this year. A total of 7,069 farmers have committed suicide in the State since 2014. Most of the farmers, who committed suicide are tenant farmers. There are 16 lakh tenant farmers in the State and 80 percent of them committing suicide are tenant farmers, he added.

Due to the failure of crop yield as expected, increase in input costs and losses in farming, the farmers are facing a huge debt burden. Farmers are in great stress due to non-implementation of loan waiver and crop insurance as promised by the government. As a result, the farmers are not getting any kind of compensation.

In this context, the government urgently needs to focus on the crisis of farmers' suicides. Permanent solutions should be hammered out instead of reckless temporary measures. The families of farmers who committed suicide should be supported. In the light of the latest situation, the Congress party was making some demands to the government. Revanth Reddy asked the KCR government to respond to these demands immediately. Otherwise, he warned that they will have to take action on the ground level on behalf of the farmers.