Cotton farmers make a beeline to Maharashtra for better prices

ADILABAD: Cotton farmers from Adilabad, disillusioned by decreasing prices for their produce at the Adilabad market due to an alleged private syndicate, are now reaching out to markets in bordering Maharashtra.

Farmers alleged that local private traders are cheating them on the pretext of high moisture content, which is normal due to cold and foggy weather. Cotton producers from Bela and Jainad of Adilabad are taking their produce to markets in Pandharkawda, Inghanghat, and Korpana of Maharashtra, of late. 

Narsinga Rao, a farmer from Adilabad, said that while Adilabad traders were offering Rs 7,300-Rs 8,200 per quintal, they are getting Rs 8,700 to Rs 10,000 per quintal in Maharashtra. He said that in the last kharif season, traders in Adilabad paid Rs 10,000 per quintal.

Further, traders in Adilabad were offering the above prices only for cotton with a moisture content of 8-12 per cent, and were cutting Rs 82 for each per cent higher than the limit of 12 per cent. However, markets in Maharashtra were paying up without taking moisture content into account.

Farmers said that such a practice is leaving them with Rs 5,000- Rs 6,000 per quintal, as it was natural to have 25-35 per cent moisture during winter.

Ghanshyam, a cotton producer from Guda village in Bela mandal of Adilabad, said that he sold 15 quintals of cotton in Korpana of Chandrapur district of Maharashtra at Rs 8,700 per quintal. He said that some were getting close to Rs 10,000 for better quality produce.

He said that farmers were also taking their soya produce to Maharashtra to get better prices.

However, members of the market committee said that the Adilabad farmers were getting better prices than those in Karimnagar, Warangal, and Khammam.