The Agriculture Minister, Singireddy Niranjan Reddy gave a stern warning to seed supply agencies on Tuesday, cautioning them against taking advantage of cotton farmers. In an official statement, Minister Reddy expressed concerns about the exorbitant prices at which cotton seed was being sold in certain areas, emphasizing that such exploitative practices would not be tolerated say media reports.
He directed the relevant officials to take immediate action against companies involved in these activities and ensure that they cannot manipulate the availability of cotton seeds for their own gain. Minister Reddy stressed that the state had already made an ample supply of cotton seeds available, surpassing the actual requirement. Farmers typically prefer BG II hybrid seeds for cotton cultivation.
All companies are supplying the same variety of cotton seeds, which they source from private companies. The maximum price set by the central government for a 450-gram packet is Rs 853.
While the central government handles the pricing aspect, the responsibility of regulating price-fall is on the states. Minister Reddy assured farmers that the state government would not let them down in this regard under any circumstances.
He issued a clear warning that the licenses of deceitful dealers would be revoked if they were found to be cheating farmers. This season, cotton is expected to be cultivated across 65 lakh acres, requiring approximately 58,500 quintals of seed.
However, the market already has over 77,500 quintals of seed available, including stocks held by various companies. Minister Reddy urged farmers not to engage in panic buying or fall into the hands of unscrupulous sellers who are driven by greed.
