Hyderabad: Telangana Agriculture and Textiles Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on Friday urged ginning mill representatives to ensure farmers face no trouble during cotton procurement. He assured them that the state government would press the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) to resolve mill-related issues.
With ginning mills planning to go on strike from November 17, the minister directed the Agriculture Secretary to initiate talks with mill representatives and collect feedback. He also asked district collectors to reassess average cotton yields, following fresh instructions from the Union Textile Ministry.
Cotton procurement issues linked to CCI norms, says minister
Tummala said that the L1 and L2 conditions imposed by CCI had triggered operational problems for ginning mills. He added that limits such as allowing cotton sale only up to 7 quintals per acre had created severe difficulties for farmers.
The minister pointed out that halting procurement due to moisture content in cotton had worsened the situation for farmers. He recalled that the state had already written to the Union Textile Minister and CCI Managing Director about these problems, but received no response.
He reiterated that the Telangana government will continue to push the Centre to address the demands of ginning mills and protect farmer interests.