Ryots want CCI to buy accumulated cotton stock

HYDERABAD: Minister for Rural Development and MGNREGS, D Manikya Varaprasada Rao met chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and narrated the plight of  cotton farmers in the state. He told the CM that 60 lakh quintals of stock had accumulated with the farmers and there were no buyers.The minister requested the CM to bring the fact to the notice of Union minister for textiles and ensure that cotton is procured by the CCI at Rs 4,500 per quintal, on par with Gujarat state. The chief minister positively responded to the plea of the minister for taking up the issue with Centre. Manikya Varaprasad Rao said that due to insufficient and untimely rain the production of cotton in the state had come down to 5-6 quintals per acre. During 2010-11, cotton prices touched Rs 6,000 per quintal against MSP of Rs 3,300  declared by Centre. The market price this year ruled at an average of around Rs 3,500 per quintal. Due to ban on exports, prices had fallen down.And due to the pressure exerted by Gujarat MPs the Centre had instructed the CCI to purchase cotton from Gujarat at Rs 4,500 per quintal, for which Rs 50 cr had been allotted. It is absolutely clear that the textile ministry was showing discrimination towards AP farmers. The farmers have stated that unless the Centre issued similar instructions to CCI to purchase cotton from the AP farmers on par with Gujarat, the farming community will sustain huge losses.