Title: Cotton Farmers in Tamil Nadu Urge Immediate Cotton Procurement as Prices Plummet
Date: [current date]
CHENNAI – Cotton farmers in Tamil Nadu are facing a dire situation as the price of cotton has drastically fallen to Rs 5,500 per quintal. In response to this crisis, Chief Minister M.K.Stalin has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urgently requesting the implementation of cotton procurement in Tamil Nadu and the enforcement of the minimum support price for cotton from June 1.
The letter emphasized the urgent need for assistance, highlighting the plight faced by cotton farmers in Tamil Nadu during this harvest season. Notably, the price of cotton has fallen significantly compared to the previous year when farmers earned a profit of Rs 12,000 per quintal. Encouraged by last year’s success, many farmers opted for cotton cultivation this year, only to face considerable losses.
Chief Minister Stalin’s letter also addressed the two distinct seasons for cotton cultivation in Tamil Nadu – Nanjait Dharisu and Summer Death. Sowing is traditionally carried out in February-March, and cotton is harvested from the first week of June, covering an area of approximately 84,000 acres in both seasons.
Farmers have urged the Cotton Association of India and the Cotton Corporation of India to initiate immediate procurement activities in Tamil Nadu, considering the current price decline. They assert that the central government’s minimum support price system plays a pivotal role in stabilizing market prices for agricultural products, and the Cotton Corporation of India’s past purchase activities have proven beneficial in stabilizing cotton prices.
Chief Minister Stalin has proposed a minimum support price of Rs. 7,020/- per quintal for medium staple cotton and Rs. 7,050/- per quintal for long staple cotton. He has also called for the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to implement this decision promptly.
Recalling the Government’s assistance in implementing the minimum support price for paddy a month earlier during the previous year’s Kurvai paddy season, Chief Minister Stalin expressed his gratitude and requested PM Modi’s intervention once again. “By stabilizing the price of cotton and ensuring farmers a fair return for their produce, the affected cotton farmers in the state will get due relief,” said Chief Minister Stalin in his letter.
With the ongoing Nanjait barren cotton harvest in full swing, immediate intervention to kickstart cotton procurement activities in Tamil Nadu is crucial. The livelihoods of cotton farmers are at stake, and addressing the falling cotton prices at the earliest is paramount to alleviate their hardships.
It is hoped that the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, in coordination with the Cotton Corporation of India, will promptly implement the minimum support price for cotton and undertake necessary actions to stabilize the cotton market in Tamil Nadu.