Area below cotton cultivation in Tamil Nadu is more likely to fall subsequent sowing season as farmers harvesting cotton now battle to get remunerative prices.
Selvakumar, who raised cotton on 1.5 acres in Tiruchengode space, mentioned he spent ₹35,000 and earned simply ₹15,000. The yield this 12 months was 200 kg an acre as towards 11 quintals final 12 months. The worth had additionally dropped from ₹120 a kg final 12 months to ₹70 a kg now. “We do not know if the fall in yield was due to pest attack or severe summer. But, at least 25% of farmers in our region will not sow cotton next year,” he mentioned.
Kannan, a farmer from the Tiruvarur district, mentioned that on Saturday the typical worth in that space was ₹64 a kg. Even every week or 10 days in the past, the worth was ₹55 a kg or much less.
According to knowledge accessible with the Indian Cotton Federation, virtually 1.65 lakh hectares of land was below cotton cultivation in the State and manufacturing was anticipated to be 6.5 lakh bales through the 2022-2023 cotton season (October to September).
An official of the CCI mentioned that the new MSP charges had been declared for cotton season 2023-2024 and added that the Corporation would step in for MSP operations from day one (October 1), if crucial. “We have been told that at present, the prices are running at about ₹6,800 per quintal and in case of Cauvery delta region it was ₹6,400 to ₹ 6,500,” the official mentioned.
Ravichandra, a farmer from Naneelam, mentioned the federal government ought to assist them to type farmer producer organisations and arrange ginning mills in the cotton rising areas in order that they get higher prices. Further, the revised MSP that was carried out from October 1 needs to be superior for the summer time crop in Tamil Nadu the place selecting began in June.
V. Sathyanarayanan, State secretary for the Consortium of Indian Farmers’ Associations, demanded steps to spice up prices for cotton by-products in order that farmers weren’t affected by the cotton worth fluctuations.
The textile trade has sought a Technology Mission on Cotton to spice up yield and to assist farmers get higher prices.
