Nagpur: The farmers were expecting good cotton crop as the rains though late but were satisfactory. Till now the farmers have been facing hailstorm, wet drought due to heavy rains and so then loss of crop. This year at least they were expecting good bumper crop as the plants were blooming with green leaves, flowers and cotton squares. But the nature had something else for them. The flower buds turned into squares. In another three weeks, the blossoms opened. The petals changed from creamy cotton bolls to white to yellow, then pink and finally dark red. Finally, tthe bolls split apart and the fluffy cotton bursts forth. It appeared like white cotton candy.

When the farmers took the cotton to market they got shock of their life as the cotton weighed very light. The cotton should have been heavy. The farmers are now worried whether they would get the money as much they have spent for the cotton crop. This has created the situation grim for the farmers as well as the labourers.

The labourers pick cotton from 40 to 50- 60 kgs. But this year since the boll worm and the red pest who have damaged the crop by sucking the juice has made the cotton light in weight. The cotton picked this year is just 8 to 10 – 12 kg in weight. Due to this labourers are not getting their wages as much they used to get earlier. This year the farmers are finding it difficult to get the labourers too because of this.