Urge to open purchase centers immediately for cotton purchase in Telangana
17-Oct-2024 11:04 AM
Hyderabad. The arrival of new cotton has started in the southern state of Telangana, but due to low prices in the markets, the producers are being forced to sell their produce at throw-away prices.
In view of the huge losses being suffered by the farmers, a former minister of the state has urged the central agency - Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) to immediately start purchasing cotton from the farmers at the minimum support price and open purchase centers.
The former minister said that support price is being provided to cotton producers in Gujarat and its scope should be extended to Telangana because the price of cotton is also very low here. It is surprising that CI has not opened a purchase center in Telangana till now.
According to the former minister, due to the continuing rains, the farmers of Telangana are struggling hard to safely store their cotton stock and the state government has not opened a purchase center for CCI. Due to this, middlemen are taking huge advantage while the farmers are incurring huge losses.
This time the minimum support price of cotton has been fixed at Rs 7521 per quintal whereas in the markets of Telangana its price is only around Rs 5500 per quintal. On the other hand, in Gujarat its price has jumped to above Rs 8200 per quintal.
Compared to Telangana, the farmers of Gujarat are getting a much higher price for cotton. Two MPs from Telangana are ministers in the central government and they should ensure that the farmers of this state get the right price for cotton which the producers of Gujarat are getting.
He said that the Telangana government should show special activism in this direction to protect the interests of the farmers.
The state government had promised to give an additional bonus of Rs 500 per quintal on paddy but the farmers are not getting this amount. It is known that after Gujarat and Maharashtra, Telangana is the third largest cotton producing state in the country.