Farmers stock cotton in their homes, not selling, hoping for Rs 10,000 as price

ADILABAD: Farmers stocked thousands of quintals of cotton in their homes across villages in the hope it would fetch higher prices in the near future. The farmers are expecting more than Rs.10,000 per quintal of their produce.

Many farmers have stopped selling their cotton for lower prices after they got the Rythu Bandhu and stocked their produce so as to fetch more money. The central government has announced Rs.6,380 as MSP for cotton.

BRS leaders mobilized leaders of various Rythu Sanghams and of the Congress and Left parties under the banner of ‘JAC against the central government’ to fight for higher cotton prices.

BRS leaders, in the name of JAC of Rythu Sanghams, started an agitation demanding that the central government fix `10,000 as price per quintal. Many so-called Rythu leaders participated in the Rythu JAC protest at the collectorate to press the demand.

Notably, a few days ago, thousands of genuine farmers on their own gathered at Asifabad and staged protests demanding that the central and state governments ensure a pay of Rs.15,000 per quintal of cotton.

Farmers hope the cotton prices will be increased soon by the central government.

A team of Rythu Sangham leaders of CPM met the CCI, Market and district officials and appealed to them to purchase cotton at a higher price so that private cotton traders' would offer more price than the CCI to the farmers.

BJP leader Naresh asked why can’t the same rythu leaders of the opposition parties agitate for a good price for Chana and Soya, like cotton. He said leaders of the opposition joined hands for cotton since cotton operations come under the central government and the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) is a central agency.

CPM leader Bandi Dattatri said private traders are offering only Rs.7,960 whereas private traders were offering Rs.8,500 in Maharashtra.