No end to woes of cotton farmers

WARANGAL: Despite Southwest monsoon entering Andhra Pradesh, rains have not occurred in most parts of Telangana region. This is causing a lot of worry to cotton farmers who have been waiting for rains in the first and second week of June.  The scarcity of Bt cotton seeds in the market has escalated their woes. And, because the current weather conditions are unfavourable to grow cotton crop, the cost of each seed packet has plummeted from `1800-`2000 to `1200.Few places like Janagaon, Mulugu, Narsampet, Parakal and Torrur have received rainfall between 20 to 30 mm and 10 to 16 per cent of farmers from these areas have sown seeds but, are worried as the crop was not growing. However, they have begun irrigating the fields not to face crop loss.  Expecting a great demand for cotton in the market this year too, farmers have planned to cultivate 6.5 lakh acres of cotton as against 4.5 lakh acres last year.  “If rains occur in the first week of July, farmers can sow cotton seeds and that would not affect their output.  Also, they don’t have to worry about it,” said Nageshwara Rao, joint director of agriculture department.  However, farmers are mulling over other alternatives to cotton if rains do not occur in the next week. The agriculture department officials have advised them to grow red and green grams instead not  to incur losses and not  to depend completely on cotton.