KURNOOL/ONGOLE: Cotton prices are ruling high across the country, fetching its growers extraordinary gains as they gave a cheerful adieu to 2021. For the first time in the 70-year-old history of the Adoni agriculture market yard in Kurnool, a quintal of cotton was sold for Rs 9,611 recently. Adoni is the only market in the State where the fibre crop is traded.
“Since the beginning of this season, cotton prices have been increasing and now they crossed Rs 9,600 per quintal. It may even go up to Rs 10,000 over the next few days,” deputy director of the market yard B Sreekanth Reddy said.
“The yard has been receiving around 4,000 quintals of the crop daily from across the southern states for the past few days, and at least 300 businessmen trade regularly in cotton here,” he told TNIE. Moreover, the market yard requires 10 average bids per stock, which is the highest in the country, the official added.
On why the cotton prices were hiking, the DD said there was low availability of stocks internationally due to rains, lower cultivation and inferior quality of the kharif produce in other markets. “Kurnool cotton seed and lint are of better quality, which is why traders from across the country are interested in exporting the produce grown here.” Often referred to as the ‘white gold’, cotton has become a ray of hope for the farmers.
“I have been growing cotton as my main crop for the last five years. Every year I suffered losses as the minimum support price for the yield is not suitable. This year, incessant rains in November only added to my fears and I had lost all hopes. Fortunately, the rains did not damage the fibre crop much and the yield was good. Now the merchants are offering us over Rs 9,000 per quintal. They are even ready to come to our fields and take the produce directly, which was never the case,” said Gunji Tirupatayya from Chimakurthy mandal in Prakasam district.
According to information, the crop is grown in 81,601 hectares in Prakasam, most of which are in the western parts of the district. The minimum support price for the crop is Rs 6,025 per quintal.
“Cotton growers in Parchuru are getting good prices for the first time. Though rains damaged the crop to some extent during the flowering stage, we got a yield of 5 quintals per acre. One quintal was sold for Rs 8,000,” KVS Ramachandra Rao said.