Hyderabad: Estimating that the farmers could cultivate cotton in around 60.53 lakh acres in the state in the coming Kharif 2024 season, the agriculture department is planning to make 120 lakh packets of the BGII (Bollguard II) cotton seed variety available in the market.
During a review meeting held at the Secretariat with agriculture officials on Wednesday, May 15, Agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao instructed the officials to ensure the seeds are made available in the market by the end of this month.
Observing that cotton cultivation has come down from 60.53 lakh acres in 2021 to 45.17 lakh acres by 2023, the minister said that keeping in mind the increasing demand for cotton in the international market, there was a scope for increasing its area of cultivation, the reason why BGII variety seeds were being made available.
The state government officials have already held meetings twice with the seed companies and were given instructions on those lines.
Noting that the Centre has set Rs 864 as cotton’s minimum support price (MSP) per packet, the minister has warned that stern action would be initiated against any dealer or company which may try selling cotton seed at a price higher than that, or if anybody tried to obstruct the seeds’ supply-chain.
Also warning the officials that negligence will not be targeted, the minister asked the officials to form district-wise teams to monitor the sale of seeds and to put a check on the sale of spurious seeds in the market.
