Rollback new cotton procurement rules, says Telangana agriculture minister

In a letter to Lalit Kumar Gupta, Managing Director, Cotton Corporation of India and Giriraj Singh, Union Textile Minister, Tummala Nageswara Rao, Agriculture Minister, Telangana has urged for a rollback of new rules governing cotton procurement in the state. Rao pointed out, CCI has reduced the permissible cotton yield per acre from 12 quintals to seven quintals. However, reports from district collectors indicate the actual yield in the state is around 11.74 quintals per acre.

Since this year's heavy rains have already caused significant losses to farmers, Rao says the new CCI restrictions are detrimental to their interests. He requested the corporation to procure cotton with up to 20 per cent moisture content to prevent further hardship. The minister also highlighted that many farmers are facing difficulties due to limited awareness of the Kapas Kisan app, which is essential for the sale process. He appealed to the CCI to withdraw the seven-quintal rule, restore the earlier procurement method, and address issues faced by ginning millers while safeguarding farmers' interests.