ADILABAD : The farmers in Adilabad district allege that traders are manipulating them with moisture meters leading to heavy losses. On Thursday, A Ramullu, a farmer from Talmadugu mandal brought 35 quintals of cotton to the ginning mill and when the trader checked the moisture content, it showed 18 per cent, whereas the meter with the rythu committee showed 11 per cent. This is not the first incident, claim farmers. Later, Ramullu had to fight to convince the traders to buy cotton at 11 per cent moisture price. Finally, the trader agreed to pay him `4,400 per quintal.
He says last year, moisture content was checked in the market yard but this year, it is being checked at private ginning mills, which is against rules. It is learnt that politicians and influential persons were getting `4,500 per quintal and others were paid less. During the open auction, Rythu Sangham leaders said that traders announced more than `4,500 per quintal, but after checking the moisture content, they reduced the prices drastically.
Last year, Kharif cotton was cultivated in 2.71 lakh hectares and this year, it was cultivated in 3.53 lakh hectares. According to officials, traders have purchased 2,35,796 qunitals of cotton till now, but Cotton Corporation of India had not started procurement.
Rythu Coolie Sangham demands govt purchase cotton at `8,000 per quintal
Khammam: All India Rythu Coolie Sangham state president V Koteswara Rao demanded the government to implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission to avoid crises in the agriculture sector. He visited the deeksha camp organised by CPI (ML) Rythu Coolie Sangham at dharna chowk in Khammam demanding that traders purchase cotton and other crops at MSP.
Koteshwara Rao said cotton farmers were struggling to get MSP and hence, the government should come to their rescue. He demanded the government to direct officials of Cotton Corporation of India to purchase cotton at `8,000 per quintal. Criticising the state government for not doing much to rescue the farmers, he urged the government to take steps to provide MSP to them. CPI(ML) district secretary G Venkateswara Rao demanded the government to purchase cotton through CCI by paying `8,000 per quintal.
Harish rao conducts video confernce with joint collectors of all dists
Hyderabad: Marketing minister T Harish Rao directed the joint Collectors of all districts to see to it that there is no problem for farmers to sell their cotton at the 143 cotton purchasing centres in the state. Harish Rao conducted a video conference with Joint Collectors in this regard on Friday. The support price for cotton per quintal was `4,320, but the farmers were getting more revenue than this, Harish Rao said. Rao directed the Joint Collectors to regularly visit the cotton purchasing centres and ensure that the farmers get reasonable price for cotton.
CCI starts purchasing cotton in mancherial
Mancherial: Days after cotton started arriving in the local market yard, Cotton Corporation of India started procurement at its six centres on Friday. The minimum support price for cotton has been fixed at `4,320 per quintal. CCI only purchases cotton which has natural moisture between 8 to 12 per cent. Speaking to media in his chamber on Friday, joint collector J Surender Rao said that to save farmers from middlemen, CCI was purchasing cotton directly from them. Private ginning industries will begin the purchase from Oct 30. He said market committee officials were monitoring cotton arrivals and moisture content to avoid irregularities. A toll free no 08736 -250166 has been pressed into service for farmers.