Maharashtra: Cotton farmers in a new trouble, new crisis after price fall
Cotton seed issue: Worried about not getting the expected price for cotton, farmers are now facing a new problem of seed shortage.
Yavatmal: With only two days remaining for the rooster constellation, the demand for sowing by the farmers has intensified. The rush to buy seeds is increasing. But the difficulty has increased due to non-availability of seeds of reputed companies. Because farmers are urged to buy low quality seeds. As complaints are increasing in this regard, farmers are demanding timely measures from the government. Farmers who have access to irrigation practice dust sowing. Dry land sowing is also done if the rainfall pattern is satisfactory. To avoid rush on time, farmers start procuring seeds and fertilizers well in advance. As soon as the monsoon starts advancing over Kerala, approx.
Kharif is sown in 9 lakh 2 thousand 72 hectares in Yavatmal district. Out of this, cotton is grown in 4 lakh 55 thousand area while soyabean has 2 lakh 86 thousand 144 hectare. A demand for 22 lakh 75 thousand packets of seeds has been registered by the Agriculture Center Director. Seeds are also available in the market. But, the seed companies are not getting the seeds which the farmers were expecting. On asking for four packets, only two are being given. The other two packets are also requested to be picked up by specific companies. Earlier, due to shortage of seeds in Yavatmal district, farmers used to buy seeds from Adilabad district situated on the Telangana border. There also there are complaints from farmers that seeds of reputed companies are not available. Ramesh Buch, a wholesaler of agricultural literature, said that the government is responsible for the shortage of seeds due to drought-ravaged crop and adoption of new technology.
