Telangana cotton farmers in crisis as ginning mills threaten shutdown over govt inaction

Cotton ginning mills in Telangana have warned of a total shutdown from November 17 after government assurances on equitable cotton supply and other issues went unfulfilled. Farmers face distress due to unseasonal rains, CCI procurement limits, and falling prices

Hyderabad: Cotton ginning mills in the State, which had postponed their strike from November 6 following State government’s assurances to resolve their issues, are now gearing up for a total shutdown from Monday (November 17) after the government failed to keep its word.

With cotton farmers staring at a deepening crisis, the government is said to be trying to persuade the millers to relent. However, association members said the absence of concrete steps from the government meant that they would go ahead with the shutdown.

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The ginning mills have issued an ultimatum to the government, demanding equitable cotton supply to all mills and swift resolution of their concerns. Failing that, the mills will cease operations from November 17. The strike would deliver a double blow to farmers already reeling under unseasonal rains that damaged crops, compounded by stringent procurement rules imposed by the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI).

The ginning mills had deferred the strike from November 6 following promises of a meeting on November 10 to resolve issues, but that did not materialise. “The government has ignored us,” said one of the millers, adding that with the association already postponing the strike once, this time it would be firm on halting purchases until the demands were met.

On the other hand, farmers, already battered by rains that caused high moisture and discoloration in cotton, are furious over the CCI’s new norms. The corporation has slashed per-acre procurement limits from 12 quintals to just 7 quintals, enforces a strict 12% moisture cap (rejecting anything higher), and refuses discoloured cotton. With the Minimum Support Price (MSP) set at Rs 8,110 per quintal for long-staple cotton, private traders are exploiting the chaos by forming syndicates to buy at Rs 5,000–Rs 6,800, up to Rs 2,000 below MSP, often only on weekends.

In erstwhile Mahbubnagar district, farmers in Nagarkurnool protested against delays and rejections. District Collector Santosh expressed outrage during a spot visit to a CCI centre in Telakapalli mandal, warning staff of action for harassing farmers.

“We’ve opened 256 mills; the remaining 69 will follow soon. Don’t trouble farmers over this,” State officials urged the association. Agriculture Department officials are negotiating with the Centre. Farmers, especially those booking slots via the Kapas Kisan app, are returning empty-handed as loads are rejected for excess moisture from rains.

“We can’t sell to CCI or private buyers at fair prices. Our crops are rotting,” lamented a farmer from Mahbubnagar. Farmers are protesting against CCI’s norms calling them anti-farmer and that they were designed to curb mill malpractices but in reality, were burdening producers. With average yields at 8–12 quintals per acre (lower in rain-hit areas), the 7-quintal cap forces distress sales.

Tenant farmers, lacking land records, are excluded from MSP benefits altogether. The shutdown threat could cripple the sector which is already strained by losses to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore from the recent rains that impacted crops across thousands of acres.

Farmers demand moisture relaxations, extended procurement hours, and village-level centres like those under the IKP scheme for paddy. The CCI had targeted purchasing up to 25 lakh tonnes of cotton from the State this season. But the marketing season has passed three weeks, and net purchases are less than 1.6 lakh tonnes.

Cotton sector crisis

• Impending ginning mills shutdown to stall purchases from Nov 17
• Unseasonal rains cause moisture, discoloration of stocks
• CCI cuts per-acre limit to 7 quintals from 12, enforces strict moisture cap
• Syndicates buy cotton at Rs 5,000–Rs 6,800 per quintal
• Tenant farmers sans records excluded from MSP cover