ADILABAD: The cotton farmers in erstwhile Adilabad, who had stored their produce in hopes of fetching a better price, are now in the doldrums as the prices did not increase as per their expectations even as the season is coming to an end. Usually, the cotton season is over by mid-February. This time, however, the farmers had stored their harvest as they were being offered low prices in the market. Most of them had stored the cotton to sell when the prices went up.
Some farmers are now selling the cotton produce to Maharashtra traders, who offer a better price than what they get in the Adilabad district. The cotton purchase began in October last year at Rs 8300 per quintal. It soon went up to Rs 9010 per quintal, but the hike in price was short-lived. Thereafter, the prices slumped down to an average of Rs 7800 per quintal, which the farmers said was not enough.
In Maharashtra, traders have been offering good prices. Farmers living near the border are selling their cotton at Rs 8,500 per quintal. Last year, during the Kharif season, farmers cultivated cotton on three lakh acres and expected 21 lakhs of quintals yield, but 30% of the produce did not receive a good price.
Rythu Sangam leaders have held protests several times, but there has been no response from the governments and traders to increase the price. Even the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), which started commercial operations last year, has not raised the price.