Traders openly exploit cotton farmers in Minister Thummala’s own district

Farmers have been complaining that traders were buying cotton below the minimum support price (MSP) even as their produce met the requisite moisture content conditions. They alleged that the negligence of agriculture and marketing officials was proving costly for them.

Khammam: Cotton farmers are being subjected to open exploitation by traders in Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao’s own district.

Farmers have been complaining that traders were buying cotton below the minimum support price (MSP) even as their produce met the requisite moisture content conditions. They alleged that the negligence of agriculture and marketing officials was proving costly for them.

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Farmers shared their plight with district Collector Muzammil Khan who made a surprise visit to the cotton yard on Tuesday. They complained that the traders were buying the produce at prices ranging from Rs 6400 to Rs 6800 per quintal even though the MSP fixed by the government was Rs 7521 per quintal.

Farmers said that the traders bought the produce without testing moisture content. They told the Collector that a trader bought cotton from a farmer for Rs 6800 even though moisture content was 12 percent. The Collector also tested the moisture content of those cotton bags and found that moisture content was indeed 12 percent.

Muzammil Khan, expressing anger at the marketing and agriculture officials, questioned why they allowed traders to buy the produce below the MSP. It was the responsibility of the officials to protect the interests of farmers but not the traders, he stated.

The traders have no right to buy cotton below the MSP and if the traders violate the norms they have to forgo their licenses, the Collector warned. He directed the officials to see to it that farmers from whom the produce was bought below the MSP paid the remaining amount.The Collector told the farmers that they should bring the produce after drying it and to ensure that moisture content would be below 12 percent. Cotton with 14 percent moisture content would be bought depending on certain conditions but the produce with 20 to 25 percent moisture content would not be bought. As many as 20, 000 bags arrived at the market on the day.