Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have seen a sharp decline in cotton arrivals. When compared to the same day last year, when arrivals were 3.61 lakh quintals, this year’s arrivals at Warangal market yard have decreased by nearly 45% to 1.98 lakh quintals.
Farmers have attributed the poor yields this year to excessive rains at the start of the growing season, while the trade and industry have claimed that some farmers are hoarding stockpiles because of the generally lower pricing. In the past year, the two States produced around 14% of the 353 lakh bales of cotton produced nationwide. At the market yard, the cost per quintal was 7,900 (or 8,000).
Farmers, however, have refuted the claim, claiming that severe rains from July to September of last year caused a dramatic decrease in yield this year, from 4 to 6 quintals per acre to just 2 to 3 quintals. Farmers’ additional sowing of the crop raises the production cost. According to S Malla Reddy of Telangana Rythu Sangham, excessive vegetation interfered with the development of bolls, which led to extremely low yields.
