Cotton farmers have been requesting the market yard officials to lift cotton from the farmers using the e-NAM mechanism. This, according to cotton farmers would free them from tricks the traders play like under weighing cotton and exaggerating the moisture content in the cotton to buy the cotton at a price less than the MSP. This topic will come up when the minister for Forests Jogu Ramanna comes to inaugurate cotton lifting operations at the market yard at Adilabad next Friday.

The cotton farmers of the district are getting a raw deal at the hands of traders because traders have formed a syndicate and purchasing cotton at a price less than the MSP on one pretext or the other. It is said that the traders are adopting dubious methods on testing moisture content at market yard and also at the ginning mill. If the moisture content is less, the traders are imposing a cut in the MSP.

The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) has fixed Rs 4,160 a quintal as the MSP. A farmer of Tamsi mandal described the rise in MSP by Rs 60 only is atrocious at a time the input costs rose by Rs 5,000 an acre. Cotton was raised in 2.20-lakh acres in the district. The traders pay the MSP provided the moisture content in the cotton is between 8 per cent and 12 per cent.

In Khammam, Warangal and Jammikunta markets, the commodity is being sold at Rs 4,900 a quintal, which is over and above the MSP. Therefore, the particular farmer Tirupati demanded traders to lift cotton at Rs. 5, 500 as the cotton produced in Adilabad, Telangana was rated as the best in the country.

Similarly, farmers complain of differences in weighing at market yard and at the ginning mill. On account of very high temperatures recorded in the district, the farmers have been seeking an exemption up to 20 per cent of the moisture content in the cotton.