Traders buy 17 lakh bales of 'kapas'

Private traders have so far purchased 17 lakh bales (each weighing 170 kg) of 'kapas' (cotton with seeds) at the government market yard here. Farmers this season reaped an estimated 32 lakh bales in Andhra Pradesh, according to G Punnaiah Chowdary, president, Andhra Pradesh Cotton Association.

For the common variety 'kapas', the traders paid between Rs 1,700 and Rs 2,050 per quintal while exceptional quality cotton fetched between Rs 1,950 and Rs 2,150 a quintal. Ginners fetched Rs 18,500-18,900 per candy (356 kg of seedless cotton) of 30 mm MCU-5 variety, Rs 21,000-21,500 per candy of 31 mm MCU-5, and Rs 22,000-22,500 per candy of 32 mm.

The cotton seed fetched a price of Rs 710-750 per quintal.

A Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) source said the corporation had so far purchased about 2 lakh bales in the state at an average price ranging between Rs 1,932 and Rs 1,983 per quintal, while the highest MSP per quintal was Rs 2,010.

The CCI's final projection of crop in the state has been fixed at 30 lakh bales at an average crop yield of 525 bales per hectare.

The source said the corporation, as on date, had purchased 1.30 lakh bales in Khammam, Prakasam, Guntur, Krishna, and Nalgonda districts. Its officials purchased about 47,000 quintals of cotton with seed (kapas) in Khammam district, 30,000 quintals in Guntur district, 46,000 quintals in Krishna district, 5,000 quintals in Prakasam district and 1,000 quintals in Nalgonda district.

Farmers at the market yard here told Business Standard that the prices offered by the traders and the CCI were not very attractive.

However, they had not incurred heavy expenditure on pesticides this season as most of them cultivated pest-resistant Bt cotton crop. Hence, the present prices were better than what they were last year.

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Reaping rich

Andhra cotton farmers reaped an estimated 32 lakh bales this season

Traders paid Rs 1,700-2,050 per quintal for the common variety 'Kapas'

The Cotton Corporation of India has so far purchased about 2 lakh bales in the state at an average price ranging between Rs 1,932-1,983/quintal