Protests by soybean, cotton farmers rock Adilabad district

Former minister Jogu Ramanna criticised the government for delaying soy procurement as farmers in Adilabad protested by dumping their produce on roads. Cotton farmers too expressed anger over low prices and restrictions on moisture content during procurement

Adilabad: Former minister Jogu Ramanna flayed the government for delaying the procurement of soy produce. He extended solidarity to farmers who expressed their protest by dumping the produce on a road in Bela and Sonala mandal centres on Monday.

Ramanna said that both the State and Union governments failed in the procurement of cotton and soybeans from the growers. He said that while farmers were facing losses in farming due to poor yield caused by unfavourable climate, local public representatives were busy participating in campaigning for candidates of their parties in the by-elections to the Jubilee Hills segment.

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Meanwhile, cotton farmers expressed anger against the Cotton Corporation of India for offering low prices for the cotton produce, citing a higher percentage of moisture on the first day of procurement. They staged a sit-in at weighing machines in the agricultural market yard in Adilabad town, opposing restrictions on the percentage of moisture in cotton produce, stalling the process of procurement for a while.

The farmers along with local MLA Payal Shankar then held consultations with Collector Rajarshi Shah over the issue. They requested the Collector to allow farmers to sell their produce containing moisture higher than 12 percent. They regretted that they were registering losses with private traders offering lower rates than the minimum support price of Rs. 8,110 per quintal fixed by the government.

However, the process resumed in the evening after officials declared that cotton with moderate moisture would be purchased from the farmers. Cotton shifted to the yard by nine vehicles was purchased. Private traders procured the cotton by paying Rs. 6,950 per quintal. The growers were upset by the dip in the price compared to the MSP.