Farmers to get barcoded ID's

The marketing department will issue barcoded identity cards containing farmers’ details for use in cotton purchases to control irregularities at the Market yards in the Telangana.

Details of land, crops, bank account, pattadar pass book will be barcoded into the cards. Efforts are being made to start the commercial cotton purchases from September 27 in the Adilabad district.    

It is learnt that state government came out issue barcode  identity cards for farmers following the reports of huge irregularities in cotton purchases in Kharif-2014 in Warangal, Karimnagar and Adilabad districts.

It was found that cotton commission agents and owners of the Cotton ginning and pressing factors had purchased the cotton produce at low prices from the farmers on benami names and sold it to the Cotton Corporation of India at higher prices.

The farmers, already facing distress, were deprived of even minimum support price of Rs 4,050 announced by the Central government last Kharif.

Collector M. Jagan Mohan said they the use of the barcoded ID cards would prevent irregularities in the cotton purchases at market yards.

Minister Jogu Ramanna said nearly 56 lakh quintals of cotton purchases takes place last Kharif in the district.

But the Agriculture department figures showed that cotton crop was badly damaged and withered due to drought conditions and cotton yields were low and did not cross 35 lakh quintals in the last Kharif in the Adilabad district.

Nearly 21 lakh of cotton was purchased from the farmers of bordering Maharashtra and other parts of state at cheaper prices and sold to the CCI of Adilabad branch, at MSP of Rs 4,050 by the middlemen and owner of the ginning factories.

Even the Adilabad marketing department claimed that its revenue in terms of taxes on cotton purchases had been increased, contradicting the agriculture department figures.        

Cotton picking begins early

Commercial operations of cotton will start 20 days in advance first time in the Telangana state after 10 years, in the wake of early cotton picking and arrivals of cotton produce this Kharif. Commercial operations of cotton in the state may begin before September 25 this season, instead of the usual October 20.

Farmer leaders say there has been good growth of cotton plants this season in the Adilabad district due to timely rains and farmers in few villages have even started picking cotton, plants of which were sown during pre-monsoon or earlier.  

Farmer’s leader B. Goverdhan Reddy said marketing minister T. Harish Rao recently asked the marketing and CCI officials in a meeting to advance the cotton purchases 20 days. Seven new cotton purchasing centres, including Gudihatnoor of Adialabad would be set up for that season.

Rangineni Satishrao, big farmer of Guda village in Jainad mandal, said few farmers who sowed cotton during pre-monsoon period or earlier have already started picking cotton in their fields in Lingi and Kuchulapur villages in Talamadugu mandal and will incur loss if there is any delay in cotton purchases as the cotton purchases as the cotton might get discolored and get damp due to the humid weather.

Commercial operations of cotton are being advanced for 20 days forest time in the last 10 years. It happened previously in 2003-04 and 1996-97, he reminded. The cotton crop ripes in 90-100 days and the early operations will help farmers harvest cotton early. 

He said the conditions for growing cotton were good in Adilabad district but situation was different in Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Warangal.

Adilabad district officials have decided to convene a meeting with leaders of farmers, owners of ginning and pressing factories and CCI officials on September 6 to take the stock of the situation and preparations done to start commercial operation of cotton.

Minister Jogu Ramanna said Transco officials will be directed to supply power  to the cotton ginning and pressing factories from much earlier instead October 23 every year to start the commercial operation .