The state government, on Wednesday, appealed to the Centre to lift the ban on the export of cotton.
Speaking on the issue in the state Legislative Assembly, Agriculture Minister Kanna Lakshminarayana said that Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has already written a letter to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, on the issue.
The minister informed the House that the state produces about 3.45 crore cotton bales per annum. Of this, about 2.45 crore gets utilised in AP, with farmers exporting about 90 lakh cotton bales, he said.
Admitting that the ban was affecting the livelihood of cotton farmers in AP, he asked the Centre to lift the ban.
Earlier, TDP MLAs gave an adjournment motion on the issue soon after the House met at 9am, and demanded a discussion.
However, Speaker Nadendla Manohar disallowed the motion, while permitting the minister to make a brief statement on the subject.
Not convinced with the minister's reply, the TDP members rushed to the podium and raised slogans against the government.
Following the uproar, the Speaker adjourned the House for half-an-hour.
The Speaker also disallowed adjournment motions given by the CPI, on the hike in drinking water tariff, and by the BJP, on property tax in urban areas. (INN)