HYDERABAD: Stating that Telangana is the leading cotton producing state in the country, Union Coal & Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy on Friday said that the Centre will procure all the cotton produced in the state.
The Union minister also stated that the state government was fully cooperating with the Centre in procuring cotton in the state. He urged the farmers not to fall prey to middlemen and sell their produce at low prices. He said that the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) was procuring cotton at Rs 8,110 per quintal, which is higher than the price offered last year.
“The CCI has set up 12 new procurement centres, taking the total of number such centres to 122 in the state. The Centre has also launched the ‘Kapas Kisan App’ for the benefit of farmers. This app enables farmers’ self-registration, slot booking and payment tracking, enhancing transparency in cotton procurement process,” he said.
The Union minister, meanwhile, urged the Telangana farmers to adopt the planting model of their counterparts in Akola district of Maharashtra. “The farmers of Akola follow a high-density cotton farming model. This model boosts yield,” he said.