Hyderabad: Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on Wednesday thanked Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy for addressing the State’s concerns regarding cotton procurement in Telangana. He said the Centre’s response followed repeated appeals by the State and direct discussions with Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) officials.
Tummala told reporters that he met CCI representatives three times and personally briefed Kishan Reddy on the procurement issues. He noted that if the Centre had consulted States before changing procurement rules, such bottlenecks could have been avoided.
State’s intervention clears way for tenders
The Minister said that due to proactive steps taken by the Telangana government, ginning mills are now participating in tenders. He dismissed criticism that the State had not supported cotton procurement, calling such claims “completely untrue.”
He pointed out that Telangana farmers have emerged as national leaders in crop productivity. Cotton is widely grown on light soils across the State, with high-density cultivation now being tested in several districts.
MSP lower than past market prices, says Tummala
Criticising the current Minimum Support Price (MSP), Tummala said it does not reflect the actual cost of cultivation. He noted that in 2010, cotton fetched ₹6,000 per quintal in private markets, whereas the current MSP falls below prices offered during 2021 and 2022. Last month, the Telangana government sent a letter to the CACP chairman requesting a revision of the MSP.
He urged the Centre to also procure maize and sorghum at their respective MSPs and requested Kishan Reddy to intervene in speeding up procurement measures.
Tummala added that the State had held meetings with both CCI and ginners to remove obstacles. He urged CCI to expedite tenders, agreements with ginning mills, and issue procurement notifications without delay.
He also said that Telangana’s farmers understand the required moisture norms, and that the marketing and agriculture departments are actively guiding them on post-harvest practices.