Tamil Nadu: Rising Costs, Declining Profits—Farmers in Perambalur Distressed
2026-04-30 11:16:32
Tamil Nadu: Cotton farmers in Perambalur troubled by rising costs and declining profits
Cotton farmers in Perambalur district of Tamil Nadu are facing serious crisis due to rising costs and declining profits. The continuous rise in labor wages, prices of pesticides and fertilizers has made farming expensive, leading many farmers to stay away from this crop.
Cotton cultivation, once spread over about 5,000 hectares in the Veppanathatai, Veppur and Alathur areas, has now shrunk to about 2,000 acres. Farmers say cotton, once considered a source of stable income, has now become risky and less profitable.
Although the minimum support price of cotton is fixed at ₹ 8,110 per quintal, its price in the market is only around ₹ 7,900 per quintal. Despite average production of about 8 quintals per acre, farmers are not able to get adequate profits due to rising costs.
Labor shortage has further complicated the situation. More laborers are required for operations like sowing, weeding and harvesting, but due to low availability wages have reached ₹500 to ₹700 per day. Due to this, many farmers are forced to work hard in the fields themselves.
Additionally, due to increasing pest attacks, the use of chemical pesticides has also increased, further increasing the costs. Increasing dependence on fertilizers also increases economic pressure. Experts believe that prolonged excessive use of pesticides has also affected soil fertility.
Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam District President N. According to Chelladurai, farmers are not able to get better prices for their produce due to lack of direct procurement centers in the district.
Due to these circumstances, many farmers are now turning to alternative crops like maize instead of cotton, which are considered to be relatively lower cost and less risky.
