Telangana farmers shun cotton on poor returns

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

As the year is coming to an conclusion, it is highly unlikely that there will be any improvement in acreage.

Farmers refused to heed the State government’s attractiveness to reduce the extreme dependence on paddy and move to cotton. With the year coming to an conclusion and incessant rains dashing the hopes for supplemental acreage, the State governing administration estimates that cotton acreage will stand, more or fewer, at twenty.23 lh, slipping powering the target by a whopping 8 lakh hectares.

After crossing the 24.28-lh mark and rising as the next major cotton-growing State in the region past year, Telangana experienced established its eyes on the 28.32-lh mark this kharif.

As it lifted the benchmark, the State governing administration experienced requested the farmers to shift away from paddy, the desire for which is waning with the neighbouring States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala expanding the paddy production drastically and minimizing their dependence on the paddy from Telangana.

The farmers, nevertheless, seem to be to be not psyched. “They have not received fantastic returns past time. Numerous farmers experienced ended up manufacturing only three-four quintals against 8-12 quintals in a fantastic calendar year. Poor returns experienced pressured them to look at other crops,” S Malla Reddy, Vice-President of All-India Kisan Sabha, explained to BusinessLine.

“Additional irrigation amenities experienced ensured drinking water source, creating more farmers to shift to cotton in the past two a long time. Though the present degree of twenty.23 lh is even now increased than the State’s year ordinary of 19.26 lh, it is significantly fewer than what the Govt has aspired for,” an Agriculture Department officer stated.

Maize gains

There is a slight decline in paddy spot, much too. The farmers sowed the staple food items crop on 18.87 lh (19.forty two lh).

Nonetheless, maize, which witnessed a large drop in acreage in the past two a long time, has regained some lost floor. As against past year’s 86,198 hectares, farmers grew maize on 2.forty two lakh hectares. It, nevertheless, is even now fewer than the State’s average maize spot of four.04 lakh hectares.