Warangal: Cotton farmers stage protest at Enumamula market yard

Cotton farmers, who turned up in large numbers, on Friday were disappointed that the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) and traders were not offering support price of Rs.7,500 per quintal to farmers.

Warangal: Alleging that cotton traders formed a cartel to reduce the procurement price of cotton, the cotton farmers on Friday staged a protest at the Enumamula Agriculture Market Yard.

Cotton farmers, who turned up in large numbers, on Friday were disappointed that the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) and traders were not offering support price of Rs.7,500 per quintal to farmers.

They argued with the CCI officials and traders over the prices of cotton and demanded that they be offered support price. The CCI officials refused to procure cotton, citing high moisture content in produce. The officials made it clear that they would purchase cotton with moisture content upto 12 percent.

However, the farmers demanded that the CCI purchase cotton at a support price fixed by the government and that moisture content should not be a criteria.

The farmers got agitated after the traders started offering prices less than support price and refuse to purchase the cotton at remunerative price. There was a heated argument between the farmers and the traders.

The situation escalated after farmers union leaders reached the market yard and demanded the marketing department officials to accept all the cotton irrespective of moisture content level.

The police tried to pacify the farmers and assured them of working out a plan to purchase their produce, but they refused to withdraw their protest until they got a clear assurance from officials and traders that their produce would be purchased at a support price.

At one point of time, the traders closed their trading and started leaving the market yard, creating unrest among the farmers as they had to take the load back to their villages.

The farmers withdrew the protest after Enumamula Agriculture Market Secretary P Nirmala assured the farmers that they would be provided a support price for their produce.