Telangana farmers shun cotton on poor returns

Telangana’s program to contact the 28.32-lakh hectare (lh) mark in cotton has fallen flat, with farmers expanding the fibre crop only on twenty.23 lh, as on day.

As the time is coming to an close, it is very not likely that there will be any improvement in acreage.

Farmers refused to heed the State government’s appeal to lessen the too much dependence on paddy and shift to cotton. With the time coming to an close and incessant rains dashing the hopes for additional acreage, the State govt estimates that cotton acreage will stand, additional or less, at twenty.23 lh, falling at the rear of the focus on by a whopping 8 lakh hectares.

Following crossing the 24.28-lh mark and rising as the second most significant cotton-expanding State in the state previous time, Telangana had set its eyes on the 28.32-lh mark this kharif.

As it raised the benchmark, the State govt had requested the farmers to change absent from paddy, the need for which is waning with the neighbouring States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala raising the paddy output considerably and reducing their dependence on the paddy from Telangana.

The farmers, having said that, appear to be to be not energized. “They have not received superior returns previous time. Many farmers had ended up producing only three-four quintals in opposition to 8-12 quintals in a superior yr. Lousy returns had pressured them to glance at other crops,” S Malla Reddy, Vice-President of All-India Kisan Sabha, explained to BusinessLine.

“Additional irrigation amenities had ensured drinking water offer, making additional farmers to change to cotton in the previous two several years. Though the recent stage of twenty.23 lh is nonetheless greater than the State’s time usual of 19.26 lh, it is much less than what the Government has aspired for,” an Agriculture Division officer mentioned.

Maize gains

There is a slight decline in paddy area, way too. The farmers sowed the staple foodstuff crop on eighteen.87 lh (19.42 lh).

Nonetheless, maize, which witnessed a huge fall in acreage in the previous two several years, has regained some lost ground. As in opposition to previous year’s 86,198 hectares, farmers grew maize on two.42 lakh hectares. It, having said that, is nonetheless less than the State’s average maize area of four.04 lakh hectares.