Komatireddy’s Mumbai mission - securing fair prices for cotton farmers

Telangana Minister Komatireddy Venkata Reddy met with Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) Chairman and Managing Director Lalit Kumar Gupta at the corporation’s headquarters in Mumbai to discuss the challenges faced by cotton farmers in the state. During the meeting, the minister submitted a formal letter outlining the concerns and hardships of Telangana’s cotton growers.

Komatireddy highlighted that cotton has been cultivated on over 4.5 million acres in Telangana this season. However, unseasonal rains, pest infestations, and rising cultivation costs have caused severe losses to farmers. Despite the announcement of a Minimum Support Price (MSP), many farmers are unable to sell their produce at that rate in the open market. The minister urged the CCI to take immediate measures to safeguard the interests of cotton farmers during this crisis.

Key demands presented to the CCI:

To support cotton farmers in Telangana, Minister Komatireddy requested the CCI to implement the following steps:

• Increase in Minimum Support Price (MSP): Revise the MSP to reflect current market conditions and the increased cost of cultivation.

• Setting Up More Procurement Centres: Establish purchase centres in every cotton-growing district to enable farmers to sell directly to the CCI without middlemen.

• Clearing Pending Payments: Release the dues owed to farmers from previous seasons without further delay.

• Special Relief Package: Announce a financial relief package for farmers who suffered losses due to unseasonal rains, pest attacks, and low prices.

• Research on Pest-Resistant Seeds: Strengthen research and distribution of pest-resistant cotton varieties to prevent similar crises in the future.

Minister Komatireddy expressed confidence that the central government and the Cotton Corporation of India would respond swiftly and take concrete action to address the problems of Telangana’s cotton farmers.