Cotton farmers staged a sudden protest today on the Nakrekal–Arvapally road, disrupting traffic for several hours. The protest took place near Madaram Kalan village in Shaligouraram mandal, Nalgonda district. Farmers gathered in large numbers, blocking the road and demanding immediate action from the government.
The farmers expressed anger over the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) purchase centers, alleging they were rejecting their produce citing high moisture levels. They said they had brought the cotton from distant villages at great expense, only to be turned away without purchase. In frustration, a few farmers even set fire to their cotton heaps on the roadside.
They complained that despite a good harvest, selling their produce has become a major struggle. The protesters accused the CCI officials of making unreasonable demands and causing severe financial losses to cultivators. They demanded that the government intervene and direct CCI to begin fair procurement immediately.
Agriculture department officials stated that cotton was cultivated on 5.64 lakh acres in Nalgonda district this year. With such large-scale production, farmers fear heavy losses if procurement delays continue.
