Hyderabad: Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao has written to Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh and Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) CMD Lalit Kumar Gupta, requesting a rollback of new cotton purchase norms that limit procurement to 7 quintals per acre.
In his letter, the Minister stated that the restriction is causing heavy financial losses to cotton farmers. He pointed out that CCI had previously procured up to 12 quintals per acre and that official reports from district collectors show average yields of 11.74 quintals per acre across Telangana.
CCI norms hit farmers already suffering from rain-related crop losses
Tummala noted that this year’s excessive rainfall has already damaged cotton crops in several districts. He argued that the revised procurement cap is unjust and called for a return to previous limits. The Minister also urged the CCI to accept cotton with moisture levels of up to 20 percent, considering field conditions.
Additionally, he highlighted that many farmers were struggling to access or use the Kapas Kisan mobile app, and called for steps to improve awareness and usability.
Telangana wants immediate resolution of ginning mill issues
The Minister also asked the Centre and CCI to address the pending concerns of ginning mill operators, warning that delays could impact the cotton procurement process further.
Tummala chaired a review meeting on Monday with senior officials, including Agriculture Director Gopi IAS and Marketing Director Lakshmi Bhai, to assess the ground impact of the new norms. He reiterated that cotton procurement in Telangana should continue under the previous guidelines to safeguard farmer interests.