Hyderabad: Telangana will press the Centre to lift the existing 7-quintal-per-acre cap on cotton procurement and increase the limit to 12 quintals, Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said on Monday.
He made the statement during a review meeting on the procurement of paddy, cotton, maize, and soybean, held jointly with Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy and district collectors.
Rao said the Centre’s current Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) norm allowing only 7 quintals per acre was hurting farmers. The state government, he said, would strongly advocate for a higher cap to ease the burden on cotton growers.
Cotton procurement limit under review
District collectors informed the ministers that farmers were facing serious issues due to the CCI’s L1 and L2 quality norms in cotton procurement. They also noted that recent rains had discoloured soybean stocks, and the Centre had been formally requested to allow procurement despite the damage.
November crucial for crop procurement: Ministers
Rao and Reddy told officials that November would be a crucial month for crop purchases and asked collectors to remain alert and proactive.
On maize procurement, collectors reported that farmers had welcomed the revised limit, which now allows procurement between 18.5 and 25 quintals per acre.