TIRUCHY: Cotton price crossed Rs 100 per kg for the first time in many years at the Thuraiyur auction centre on Tuesday bringing cheer to farmers. From 8,500 hectares in 2020, the cultivation area too has gone up to 11,470 hectares in 2021 in Tiruchy district.
The steep hike in yarn and polyester cotton prices has pushed the price of the crop.
While cotton is normally harvested in three phases from December to March, the northeast monsoon rain delayed it in the central districts by a month. The harvest from Tiruchy and parts of Perambalur district is brought to the Thuraiyur regulatory market, which turns into an exclusive auction centre for cotton every Tuesday, during the harvest period.
According to the Department of Agriculture Marketing & Agri Business, in 2020, more than 16,000 quintals of cotton were sold for Rs 8 crore at the regulatory market. The highest price was just below Rs 60 a kg. In 2021, 19,903 quintals were sold for Rs 11.447 crore for an average price of Rs 77/kg. The first week’s auction for 2022 at the centre held on January 4 and 5 saw 1831.4 quintals of cotton being sold for Rs 1.82 crore for an average price of Rs 99.25 per kg, with price hitting apeak of Rs 107.01 per kg.
Saravanan, deputy director of Agriculture marketing department, told TNIE, "Usually, cotton sale and price would peak in February in the second phase. But this year, sale has peaked in the first week itself due to the spike in yarn prices in the market." More farmers and traders took part in the special cotton auction compared to previous years. As the demand increases, the average price may go past Rs 100 this year, he said.
Bala, a farmer from Thuraiyur, said the price of cotton has been constantly on the rise from Rs 53/kg in 2019 to Rs 100/kg this year. With prices on the rise, more farmers may opt for cotton cultivation in the next season, said Murugesan, Joint Director of Agriculture department. "Despite difficulties faced by farmers due to rain and pest attacks, the good price offered for cotton is heartening. With several more weeks of harvest left this year, we hope the price may go up,” said a cotton farmer from Thuraiyur.