Gadwal: Jogulamba Gadwal District Collector B. M. Santosh emphasized the need to create widespread awareness among farmers about the slot booking system to ensure smooth and transparent cotton procurement this season.

Speaking at a review meeting held on Thursday at the IDOC Conference Hall, the Collector reviewed the arrangements with officials from the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) and various agricultural and marketing departments. The meeting focused on the establishment of purchase centers and effective procedures for cotton procurement.

Collector Santosh informed that the purchase of cotton at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) will begin from Monday, and farmers will be paid accordingly. He advised farmers to download the “Kapas Kisan” mobile app to book slots for selling their cotton at designated centers.

He directed Agricultural Extension Officers (AEOs) to assist farmers in updating their mobile numbers if any changes occurred since the Digital Crop Survey, ensuring smooth coordination during the procurement process.

To avoid inconvenience, the Collector announced the establishment of three cotton procurement centers across the district — two in Gadwal and one in Alampur. He instructed officials to ensure that farmers adhere to quality and moisture standards, as mandated by the CCI, and to educate them accordingly.

According to district estimates, about 2.24 lakh metric tonnes of cotton are expected to reach the purchase centers. The Minimum Support Price (MSP) has been fixed at ₹8,110 per quintal. The Collector stressed the importance of coordination between CCI, agriculture, and marketing officials to ensure that the procurement process proceeds without any disruptions.

Farmers Suffer Huge Losses

However, despite the upcoming government procurement process, about 80% of farmers have already sold their cotton to middlemen at prices ranging between ₹6,000 and ₹7,600 per quintal, far below the MSP.

This has resulted in severe financial losses — with each farmer losing ₹10,000 to ₹20,000 per acre on average. A small farmer owning five acres reportedly incurred losses ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh.

As per government estimates, with 2.24 lakh quintals of cotton sold below MSP, the total loss across the district amounts to nearly ₹166 crore.

Causes Behind the Distress Sales

The major reasons cited for these premature sales include:

Lack of adequate storage facilities for farmers to preserve their produce until MSP procurement begins.

High labor and transportation costs, which forced them to sell quickly to local agents and middlemen.

Many farmers expressed frustration, questioning whether the government’s actions truly aim at farmer welfare or merely benefit the intermediaries who profit from their distress.

Meeting Attendees

The meeting was attended by Marketing Officer Pushpamma, District In-Charge Agriculture Officer Jaggu Naik, DSP Mogilaiah, ADA Sangeeta Lakshmi, and other agriculture and marketing officials.

In summary, while the district administration is making efforts to streamline cotton procurement through digital awareness and organized purchase centers, the damage has largely been done — as most farmers have already sold their produce below MSP due to logistical and economic pressures.