Kapas Kisan app rule leaves Medak cotton farmers in distress

Cotton farmers in Sangareddy struggle to sell their produce as the Kapas Kisan app becomes mandatory for slot booking. Many lack smartphones or awareness, forcing them to visit Mee Seva centres and adding to losses amid heavy rains

Sangareddy: With the Marketing Department and Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) making enrolment and slot booking on the Kapas Kisan mobile application mandatory, uneducated farmers and those without smartphones are facing a tough time selling their cotton this season.

Already reeling under the impact of heavy rains, cotton farmers now face mounting losses. Adding to their woes, the new rule mandating online registration through the mobile app has left many confused and frustrated.

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In the erstwhile Medak district, cotton was cultivated in nearly 5 lakh acres — 3.50 lakh acres in Sangareddy, 1.10 lakh acres in Siddipet, and 35,000 acres in Medak. However, continuous rains in August and September caused stunted growth and delayed flowering in several areas. Harvesting has begun only in a few places this week.

The new rule requiring farmers to sell their produce through the app has left many puzzled. So far, only about 1,000 farmers from the erstwhile Medak district have registered on the Kapas Kisan app. Across India, only one lakh farmers out of 65 lakh cotton cultivators have enrolled so far.

Farmers who do not own smartphones or cannot operate them are forced to visit nearby Mee Seva centres to complete the process. If they fail to reach the cotton purchasing centre on time, they must rebook their slot. The app requires farmers to furnish complete details, but no awareness programmes have been conducted by the Agriculture, Marketing, or CCI departments to educate farmers on downloading or using the app.

Speaking to Telangana Today, a cotton farmer from Jharasangam, P. Sangaiah, urged the government to appoint personnel in every village to collect details, book slots, and ensure smooth marketing of cotton. Since many farmers are unable to use mobile phones, he said they would face severe hardship in selling their produce this year.