Jagadish Reddy urges immediate action on cotton farmers' issues in Telangana

SURYAPET: Former Minister and Suryapet MLA G Jagadish Reddy urged immediate action to address the issues faced by cotton farmers in Telangana.

On Thursday, Jagadish Reddy met Governor Jishnu Dev Varma at the Suryapet District Collectorate, where he submitted a representation outlining the challenges cotton farmers were facing due to recent weather conditions and market negligence.

Jagadish Reddy expressed concern over the injustice being done to the state's cotton farmers. He requested the Governor intervene by engaging with both the central and state governments to resolve their problems. He criticised the Telangana government for not providing any assistance to farmers affected by floods, noting that no financial aid or damage assessments had been made. Additionally, he accused the central government of discriminating against Telangana in terms of cotton support policies.

The BRS leader pointed out that, according to the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), the cotton produced by Telangana farmers is of higher quality compared to that of Gujarat. He demanded that the state receive the same support price of Rs 8,257 per quintal, as provided in Gujarat. Furthermore, he called on the Telangana government to ensure the promised bonus of Rs 475 for cotton farmers is delivered.

Highlighting the severe damage caused by unseasonal rains, Jagadish Reddy noted that cotton yields had significantly dropped. Instead of the expected 10 to 12 quintals per acre, farmers were struggling to harvest even four quintals. He urged both the central and state governments to compensate farmers for their losses, stressing that no steps had yet been taken by the state in this regard.

Jagadish Reddy also criticised the delay in opening CCI centres for cotton procurement. Even where a few centres had opened, farmers were being turned away due to higher moisture content in the cotton. As a result, many were being forced to sell their produce to middlemen at a low price of Rs 5,000 per quintal, which he described as exploitation.

He warned that farmers were unlikely to even recover their investment this season and blamed the state government for its negligence. Reddy also pointed out that proper guidelines for paddy procurement had not been implemented yet, adding to the woes of Telangana's farmers. He urged the Governor to take up the matter with both the central and state governments to ensure timely support for the agricultural community in the state.