Cotton farmers not getting MSP

Natural moisture content which lingers between 18 to 20 percent in the cotton produce hit the minimum support price (MSP) for cotton in the open market as the CCI officials have declined to purchase the cotton citing the high moisture content brought by the farmers against permissible 8-12 percent content.

The CCI will deduct Rs 41 per one percent moisture content than the permissible 8 percent content.So far in the district nearly 2,000 quintals of cotton was purchased at various markets in the Adilabad district.   

This situation creates favorable conditions for private cotton traders who are coming forward to purchase the cotton having even high moisture content percent with deducting Rs 41 per one percent higher than the 8 percent moisture content.

However, farmers are not getting MSP with the high moisture content with private traders offering Rs 100 more than the MSP Rs 4100. The farmers are losing in terms of deduction Rs 400 -500 an average for higher moisture content percent.

In the process, cotton farmers are not getting minimum support price MSP Rs4,100 by the central government.                   

Farmers say it is common that moisture content percent will be more than 20 percent in the present weather conditions though farmers not applying water as CCI officials allege to increase the cotton weight. The moisture content percent will come down gradually by the second picking.

Congress state secretary Gandrath Sujatha said CCI officials are making the moisture content percent an issue to bring in the private cotton traders declining to purchase cotton in the guise of high moisture content.

Sujatha demanded that state government should announce Rs 1,000 bonus per quintal cotton like Maharashtra government while ensuring MSP to the cotton by CCI and added that officials and Ministers, MLAs of ruling party are extending support to the private cotton trader and creating favorable conditions for them.

She found fault with the government for insisting on farmers to bring cotton having 8-12 percent moisture content and even pasting wall posters with this regard in the villages though the Ministers know very well that more than  20 percent moisture content is common in the initial days.