True to the words of chief minister Mr K Chandrasekhar Rao who the other day asked the farmers to opt for cotton as it had greater demand the world over, the cotton presently is fetching Rs 9,100 per quintal which is Rs 3,000 more than the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
One could see heaps of cotton across the markets all over Telangana state. In Warangal market, the cotton is being bought at Rs 8,800 per quintal. The highest rate the cotton commanding is Rs 9,100 per quintal at Bhadradri Kothgudem district market and the price is likely to go up still, according to traders.
Overall, the area of cultivation of cotton had come down drastically this year and hence the demand. Actually, the cotton was priced at Rs 6,025 and Rs 5,726 per quintal based on variety. However, the price that cotton commands are more than Rs 3,000 than that was fixed.
The price at Warangal market on the initial days of the arrival of cotton was Rs 7,610 but within a short time, the price rose to Rs 8,800 per quintal.
Enthused by the development, the state government has decided to encourage farmers to cultivate cotton to an extent of 70 lakh acres this time following the demand in the international market. The cotton cultivated in Waranagal is said to be the best quality and many companies from Great Britain procure cotton from Warangal.
One could see the happiness writ large on the faces of cotton farmers in markets all over the Telangana state.