Telangana sitting on 'white gold' mine

Hyderabad: Telangana is emerging as a hub for 'white gold' (cotton). The high-quality Brahma (Podugu Pinja) cotton produced in the State is now the most-sought after product in many cloth and garment manufacturing countries mainly China, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Farmers are getting good prices for their produce in the open markets in the current season. The cotton price has touched a record high of Rs 8,100 to Rs 8,500 per quintal in the major markets located at one of Asia's biggest cotton markets –Warangal and also in Adilabad.

Officials said that the quality raw cotton and cotton yarn were high on demand in China which had stopped the practice of buffer stocks after they were hit by the Covid pandemic in 2021. Now, the manufacturers from China were depending on India for cotton. The Telangana variety was receiving huge orders from the traders who export cotton from Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Traders were buying 20 lakh bales from Telangana and most of it would be processed and exported to the countries who place bulk orders. Telangana Cotton Association and Ginning Mills president B Ravinder Reddy told The Hans India that export-quality cotton is available in Telangana after Maharashtra in the country. Hence, the cotton traders from across the country are buying cotton grown here in bulk. This, he said, has also helped in the revival of ginning mills in the State.

Earlier, Telangana cotton was being used for domestic purposes. After the State Government took many initiatives as a result of which the demand for superior quality cotton has gone up. The association leader attributed the high demand for Telangana cotton as one of the main reasons for declining suicides by the cotton farmers in the State in recent years. Cotton production was high in the last two years in Telangana. Officials said that the yield may go down this year as the State witnessed heavy rains and the crops have been damaged. In the next season, the cotton price may go up further in view of high demand and low production.