Telangana: Cotton farmers in Khammam face low yields
Khammam : Many cotton farmers in the erstwhile Khammam district are facing serious fears of a significant decline in crop yields this season due to continuous heavy rains and inadequate supply of urea.
Large areas of cotton have been damaged by prolonged waterlogging in fields due to repeated heavy rains. Unseasonal rains during flowering have severely affected the quality of their crops, further compounding their woes.
According to Agriculture Department data, cotton is now cultivated on 1.72 lakh acres in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district, with an estimated yield of 26.56 lakh quintals. Cotton is grown on 2.25 lakh acres in Khammam district, and officials estimate the yield to be 27.07 lakh quintals.
However, when The Hans India contacted officials and farmer organizations, widely conflicting views emerged on this emerging situation. Khammam District Agriculture Officer D. Pullaiah says there will be a slight decline in yields—only one to two quintals per acre in the lower areas—a claim denied by farmers' unions.
Bonthu Rambabu, district secretary of the Telangana Rythu Sangham (CPI-M), insisted that yields could decline by 50 to 60 percent per acre. "Compared to the normal yield of 8 to 12 quintals per acre, farmers are now getting only 2 to 4 quintals," he said. He added that in many areas, cotton was washed away just before harvesting began.
Continuously erratic rainfall in the district will worsen the situation. The minimum support price (MSP) for high-quality cotton with 8% moisture is ₹8,110 per quintal. However, prices drop significantly when the moisture content exceeds this. The high harvesting cost—₹15 to ₹17 per kg—increases the financial burden on farmers. "A farmer spends ₹5,000 to harvest three quintals of cotton, which is reduced to two quintals after drying. The effective profit is only ₹3,000," Rambabu said. He urged the Cotton Corporation of India to increase the acceptable moisture limit to 20-25% so that affected farmers can get a fair price.
Towering rains have destroyed crops, and farmers demand compensation. Cotton farmers in Chandragonda Mandal, Bhadradri-Kothagudem district, are facing huge financial losses due to continuous rains for the past two months. The incessant rains have caused significant damage to the crop just when it was ready for harvest.
Farmers in villages like Pokalagudem, Ravikampadu, Tungaram, Repallewada, and Tippanapalli have cultivated cotton on approximately 6,000 acres. However, due to the incessant rain, the cotton grains have turned black before opening, fallen to the ground prematurely, or developed mold after bursting, making them unsuitable for sale.
Farmers Ramakrishna and Venkat Rao expressed deep sorrow, saying that the rains ruined their crop at the last minute. "We were just a few days away from harvesting our crop. Now we are looking at blackened cotton lying on the ground," they said.
Given the scale of the damage, farmers fear significant losses this year in terms of both yield and quality, which will directly impact their earnings. The excessive moisture has also raised concerns about receiving the MSP, as damaged cotton often does not meet procurement standards.
Local farmer groups are urging the state government to immediately intervene and announce relief measures for affected farmers. "The government must act without delay and compensate cotton farmers affected by excessive rain," the farmers demanded.
