Cotton procurement crisis: KTR demands Telangana delegation to Delhi

BRS leader KT Rama Rao criticised both Centre and Telangana governments for the cotton procurement crisis. With only 1.12 lakh tonnes procured, farmers face losses of Rs 2,000 per quintal. He demanded a high-level Delhi delegation and urgent Central intervention

Hyderabad: Coming down heavily on both the Centre and the State government for the deepening cotton procurement crisis in Telangana, BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Sunday demanded that the State immediately dispatch a high-level delegation to Delhi to mount pressure on the Union government for swift relief.

Highlighting the way the issues pertaining to the farm sector were given special focus during the BRS regime in the past, he reminded that during such agricultural emergencies, the then Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had personally intervened to secure vital support for farmers. He urged the Congress government to replicate such proactive measures without delay.

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Rama Rao held both the BJP-led Centre and the Congress-led State government squarely responsible for crisis. Their “reckless negligence” in addressing the plight of lakhs of cotton farmers across the State had left them in the lurch. “Farmers who toiled tirelessly through the year are now left stranded, unable to sell their produce, while both governments remain in deep slumber,” he lamented.

Accusing the duo of a joint failure that betrayed the agrarian community, he said with nearly 50 lakh acres dedicated to cotton cultivation this season, the administration was demonstrating a shocking lack of urgency. He pointed to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy‘s multiple Delhi visits, where the cotton crisis was sidelined. He criticised MPs from both Congress and BJP for their inaction in lobbying with the Centre on the issue.

“A government meant to shield farmers is instead standing by helplessly,” he asserted, also lambasting the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) for procurement roadblocks, including rejections over moisture content, glitches in the Kapas mobile app registration, and rampant corruption in ginning mills and quality grading. These barriers, he said, have denied farmers the Minimum Support Price of Rs 8,110 per quintal, forcing sales in the open market at a meagre Rs 6,000–Rs 7,000, resulting in losses of up to Rs 2,000 per quintal.

Shockingly, CCI has procured just 1.12 lakh tonnes against a projected 28.29 lakh tonnes for the season. He demanded an immediate State delegation to Delhi, coupled with a comprehensive action plan to compel Central intervention and alleviate farmer distress.

“It’s time for the Telangana government to wake up and fight for its farmers, just as we did in the past,” he said, calling on leaders to prioritise agricultural welfare over political inertia.