TDP demands support price for cotton

Warangal: The claims of the State government are different from what it was in reality, the Telugu Desam politburo member Revuri Prakash Reddy said, referring to the hardships of cotton farmers.

Speaking to media persons after interacting with the farmers at Enumamula Agriculture Market here on Wednesday, he criticised the government for ignoring the plight of cotton farmers.

“Last year, farmers were able to make at least Rs 5,000 per quintal of cotton. This season, the price plummeted to Rs 3,250 a quintal while the highest price is just Rs 4,500,” Reddy said.

On the other hand, Irrigation and Marketing Minister T Harish Rao talks big of making arrangements to procure every bit of cotton through Cotton Corporation of India (CCI). However, what the CCI had so far purchased from the farmers is demoralising, Reddy said.

He said that of the total 2.56 lakh quintals of cotton arrivals in Enumamula Market this season, the CCI had just purchased 1,300 quintals and the rest was by private traders.

Stating that the yield of crop fell drastically due to spurious seed, he said that the government totally failed to curb the menace of fake seed. The TRS government, which claims itself as farmers-friendly, needs to open its eyes and rescue the cotton farmers, who are struggling to meet the input expenses, Reddy said. He demanded Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to announce Rs 1,500 bonus per quintal to rescue the cotton farmers.

“While the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh bailed out chilli farmers by providing Rs 1,500 per quintal of chilli last year, the Telangana government turned a blind eye to farmers’ woes,” Reddy said,