Telangana govt advises farmers to reduce cultivation of cotton

Hyderabad, May 25: Telangana government has advised farmers in the state to reduce cultivation of cotton as there are possibilities of growers not getting a remunerative price for their produce.

The government has asked the farmers to go for growing of pulses, soybean instead of cotton. "The area generally under cultivation of cotton in the state is 16.72 lakh hectares.

In 2015-16, acreage under cotton was 17.73 lakh hectares," Telangana Agriculture Department said in a statement.

Traders may not purchase cotton in the wake of the central government's decision to abolish subsidy on tax imposed on cotton exports as per the WTO pact agreed at Nairobi, it said. This may lead to the farmers not getting a remunerative price for their produce, it added.

The statement noted that farmers are not getting expected yields due to the scanty rainfall at present and that the resistance of BG-I and BG-II seeds to pests is also coming down while the cost of cultivation is also rising.

In view of these factors, the government advised the farmers to reduce cultivation of cotton to 60 per cent and go for cultivation of pulses and soybean instead.

The state government has ordered state-run seed supply agencies to provide 8.50 lakh quintals of seeds of pulses and others on subsidy, it said.

PTI