Farmers await procurement of cotton produce in Adilabad

While Adilabad topped in growing the cash crop by seeing 3.96 lakh acres, Kumram Bheem Asifabad district accounted for 3.30 lakh acres

Adilabad: Farmers in erstwhile Adilabad district are waiting for procurement of cotton produce by the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) to begin this year.

Officials stated that the cotton crop was raised in 10.15 lakh acres in the region in the Vanakalam season.

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While Adilabad topped in growing the cash crop by seeing 3.96 lakh acres, Kumram Bheem Asifabad district accounted for 3.30 lakh acres. Both Nirmal and Mancherial districts witnessed raising of the crop by 1.47 lakh and 1.42 lakh acres respectively.

Officials estimated that erstwhile Adilabad district would register a yield of 71.05 lakh quintals this year. The CCI has already fixed Rs.7,521 per quintal as Minimum Support Price, reflecting an increase by Rs.500 when compared to that of 2023.

However, farmers are unhappy over the price and expect a higher rate than MSP.

“We learnt that CCI was offering MSP of Rs.8,257 per quintal to cotton farmers in Gujarat. We were clueless as to why the same agency did not quote the same price in Adilabad. Public representatives should take steps to ensure justice to the farmers. Else, the growers would register loss at least Rs.700 per quintal,” a farmer opined.

In the meantime, the farmers said they were facing inconvenience in storing the produce in houses due to delay in commencing the process of the procurement at the centres by the CCI. They urged the officials of the corporation to take steps to begin the process at the earliest.

The farmers fear that the private traders and middlemen from Maharashtra would exploit the situation, causing losses to the growers.

“The traders and middlemen quote less price than the rate decided by the CCI, by forming a syndicate. They would pay the cost of the produce in a phased manner by levying commission,” Shankaraiah, a farmer from Pippalkoti reasoned.

CCI officials said that two procurement centres in Adilabad, one each in Boath, Sonala, Indravelli, Pochera, Narnoor, Ichoda, Gadiguda, Gudihatnoor, Bela, Sirikonda and Jainath mandal centres were opened. They stated that the process of procurement would be commenced in a day or two.