Hyderabad: Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao urged the Central Government on Saturday to address the problems of cotton farmers after several ginning mills withdrew from procurement tenders.
State officials meet Centre
Following his instructions, state marketing officials met Central Government representatives in Delhi on October 1 to discuss Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) procurement. The Centre agreed to relax two new rules introduced this year.
Earlier, the minister held a meeting with ginning mill representatives and the CCI Managing Director. He told marketing officials to start cotton sales immediately and warned that the government would not remain silent if farmers suffered losses from crop damage caused by heavy rains.
Cotton crop details and procurement concerns
Cotton covers 43.29 lakh acres in Telangana this year, with an expected yield of 24.70 lakh quintals. The state has 341 ginning mills.
On September 12, Tummala chaired a meeting with the CCI CMD and ginning millers to ensure support prices. Discussions covered lint percentage in CCI’s L1 and L2 slot bookings, area mapping, and procurement rules.
The Telangana Cotton Millers and Traders Welfare Association urged the government to review the lint percentage norms announced by the CCI on September 29. They also demanded that last season’s policy continue this year.
Central assurance on relaxations
Tummala pressed the Centre for a quick resolution. During the Delhi talks, state officials warned of hurdles under the new rules. In response, Central representatives promised relaxations and assured that lint percentage would be reviewed and updated every 15 days.
The minister said he remains committed to protecting cotton farmers and ensuring smooth procurement in Telangana.