Telangana: Adilabad farmers express concern over rising price of cotton seeds

A packet of seeds weighing 475 grams is now priced at Rs 901 as against Rs 767 in 2021

Adilabad: The price of cotton seeds is continuing to go up, resulting in financial burden on cotton farmers.

A packet of seeds weighing 475 grams is now priced at Rs 901 as against Rs 767 in 2021. Around two packets of seeds are required for raising the crop in an acre. Area of cultivation of the commercial crop cotton is 10 lakh acres in erstwhile Adilabad district, known as one of the largest producers of cotton in Asia. As many as 20 lakh packets are going to be purchased by the farmers.

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Officials said that the price of the seeds was Rs 864 per the packet in 2024, while it was Rs 810 in 2022. Due to the rise in the cost, farmers would end up paying around Rs 8 crore more than that they paid in the previous year. They expressed concern over mounting the price of the seeds affecting the prospects of profits in cultivating the crop.

The farmers of the cotton crop said that they would not be able to make profits if the price of the seeds was hiked. They opined that it was illogical to raise the price of the seeds every year. They regretted that they were already reeling under a crisis due to dip in prices of the cotton produce.

“It is unfair to increase the price of the seeds. We are registering losses in raising cotton crop due to poor prices to the cotton produce. We request both the union and State governments to provide the seeds at subsidised rates. Else we cannot cultivate the crop,” Ande Anand, a farmer from Ponnari village in Thamsi mandal said.

The farmers alleged that the Centre was making anti-farmer decisions. It was not extending support to distressed farmers, but was discouraging them by increasing the prices of the seeds, they said, adding they were already facing challenges due to unfavourable climate and low prices for their products.

The farmers wanted the Centre to withdraw its move to raise the price.