Government to blame for cotton growers distress

The Lok Satta Party today accused the State Government of having badly let down cotton farmers by not counselling them against going in for cotton because of the likely glut, supplying poor quality BT seed and by not ensuring purchase of the produce at a remunerative price.

The yield went down because of inferior seed and unseasonable rain even as the farmers had to spend more on pesticide as the crop was vulnerable to pests. At a time the cotton farmer was in distress, the Cotton Corporation of India had stopped purchases on the ground its warehouses were overflowing in the wake of the fall in exports and left the farmers to the mercy of private traders. On top of it the banks deducted farmers’ loan dues from out of the delayed CCI cheque payments.

Talking to the media, party spokesman Katari Srinivasa Rao and State Working Committee member Laxman Balaji demanded that the State Government immediately intervene, ensure that the CCI resumed purchases and render justice to farmers. A permanent solution to such problems lies in starting agri-clinics which will guide farmers from the time of sowing to the marketing of produce and ensure supply of quality inputs.