Delta ryots to seek help of cotton federation after steep fall in price
Due to lucrative prices, the acreage increased to 7,500 acres in the district alone and the same was the situation in the adjacent districts like Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai and Nagapattinam.
Representative image
TIRUCHY: Farmers who cultivated cotton were upset over a 50 per cent price drop and appealed to the Indian Cotton Federation (ICF) to directly procure the produce from the farmers to avoid loss to over several lakh farmers.
At least 25,000 acres in Delta came under cotton cultivation this year in which over one lakh farmers are involved. Since cotton was sold at Rs 12,000 per quintal last year, most of the farmers preferred to cultivate cotton instead of pulses after the samba season and this increased the average across the region.
For instance, in Thanjavur, cotton was cultivated in 2,500 acres last year. Due to lucrative prices, the acreage increased to 7,500 acres in the district alone and the same was the situation in the adjacent districts like Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai and Nagapattinam.
The cotton harvest commenced in the end of May and the indirect auction was held at the regulatory markets at Kumbakonam, Thiruppanandal and Papanasam in Thanjavur district and various places in Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai and Nagapattinam on June 14.
However, the cotton was sold between Rs 6,300 and 6,700 per quintal, and only a few could fetch Rs 7,000. The poor pricing had upset the farmers. Farmers also said that they could not get proper yield this season and so they were facing a heavy loss this year.
“Usually we harvest 12 to 15 quintal cotton per acre, but the unexpected rains during the months of February and March this year, affected the cultivation resulting in poor yield and we could get only get six quintal per acre,” said P Chinnadurai, president, Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association.
Chinnadurai said that the farmers were spending between Rs 65,000 to Rs 80,000 per acre, but cotton has been sold at Rs 6,500 per quintal in the regulatory market, which could get them less than Rs 35,000. This leads to a heavy loss to the farmers.
“Since the pricing is too low, we appeal to the state government to initiate steps to ensure procurement by the Indian Cotton Federation with a fixed profitable price,” Chinnadurai appealed.