Maharashtra: Rising cotton prices are a key focus for farmers.
By yash chouhan 2025-12-17 12:30:13
Maharashtra: Farmers Focus on Rising Cotton Prices
Dongaon: Farmers in Jafrabad taluka are anxiously waiting for cotton prices to rise. While the government has started purchasing cotton through the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) in other talukas, the guaranteed price center in Jafrabad taluka is yet to open. As a result, farmers are forced to sell their cotton at a loss.
Guaranteed price centers are supposed to purchase cotton from farmers. However, the government has imposed a new condition on these purchases, causing significant hardship for farmers. They are demanding that this condition be removed and that ten quintals per acre be purchased from farmers with 40 R land. Meanwhile, private ginning factories are buying cotton for up to Rs. 7,200, further impacting farmers' finances.
This year, the Kharif season crops, including cotton, soybeans, mung beans, urad beans, groundnuts, and other vegetables, have been severely damaged due to heavy rains. This has led to a significant reduction in the yield of major crops like cotton and soybeans. Since private traders and ginning factories are offering lower prices than the guaranteed price centers, farmers are demanding that cotton be purchased and sold at a rate of Rs. 11,000 to Rs. 12,000 per quintal.
New cotton has been arriving for the past two and a half to three months. However, the government is not offering fair prices, leading to farmers repeatedly falling into debt due to the lack of a proper market for cotton and soybeans at the open price centers.
Shaikh Kaleem, Farmer, Dongaon
The government should remove the new condition at the guaranteed price centers and reinstate the old one. Cotton should be purchased and sold at Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 12,000 per quintal. The significant disparity in cotton prices is causing difficulties for the government. The government should purchase cotton at Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 12,000 per quintal at both the guaranteed price centers and private ginning factories.
