All that glitters is not 'white' gold: Despite record cotton price, farmers chaotic

Warangal: With the cotton price hovering around Rs 10,000 a quintal for the first time in Telangana, it looks like a pretty good season for the farmers. However, the phrase 'All that glitters is not gold' is a true metaphor in this case. On the surface, the 2022 cotton market is off to a bullish trend but the ground reports suggest something different. Although the ruling TRS leaders were trying to project a 'feel-good factor' citing the record price of the cotton, the bitter truth is that farmers were still in chaos unable to meet the ever increasing input costs.

"The cotton price is flattering, but it's not going to help the cause of farmers. The five-digit price to white gold may look like a dream come true for the farmers. But it may be noted here that not all the arrivals of cotton to market yard was getting that price," Budige Surender, farmer from Adavi Rangapuram village under Duggondi mandal in Warangal district said.

The Enumamula Agricultural Market Yard stats say that farmers were getting around Rs 7,000 per quintal at an average. Only a few bales of cotton were commanding a price close to Rs 10,000 a quintal.

On the other hand, input costs have been jacking up for the last few years. There was an increase of Rs 5,000 per acre in the input costs compared to last year. In all, an acre incurs an input cost of Rs 30,000. It's okay if the yield is good (above 10 quintals per acre). This year, a majority of farmers got a yield of around 5 quintals per acre. At an average price of Rs 8,000 per quintal, these farmers have got Rs 40,000 per acre. What they got is a mere Rs 10,000 per acre, a reward that they get after toiling months in the field.

All India Kisan Federation (AIKF) State joint secretary Peddarapu Ramesh says, "Farmers who suffered crop loss due to untimely rains didn't have much stocks with them. Even though cotton was commanding a record price this season the farmers were not going to be benefited as one would have desired. The middlemen who procured whatever farmers had this season were getting benefitted by the high price."