Cotton procurement in Adilabad tentatively from Oct 20
K M Dayashankar
MSP ranges from Rs 5726 to Rs 8025 per quintal
Cotton was cultivated in 3.83 lakh acres and the expected yield was 25 lakh quintals
ADILABAD: The district administration is taking all necessary measures for the procurement of the cotton production of the khariff season (vanakalam) from October 20 onwards tentatively in the district.
The cotton was cultivated in 3.83 lakh acres and the authorities were expecting a harvest of 25 lakh quintals during this season. The Union government had a minimum support price for the cotton medium staple Rs 5726 per quintal and cotton of long-staple at Rs 6025 per quintal.
At a review meeting with the authorities concerned including Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) and traders in Collectorate in Adilabad town on Tuesday, Collector Sikta Patnaik said that there was more demand for the cotton in the country and the farmers were getting more price than the government stipulated MSP. She informed the authorities to make all arrangements for the procurement of cotton products from the farmers.
Adilabad legislator Jogu Ramanna informed the private traders to procure the cotton produce by providing more than the government announced MSP because of demand for the product in the market. The representatives of the farmers have stated that the government should procure the cotton produce without considering the moisture content because of the damages caused due to the incessant rains.
The farmers association leaders said that the cotton yield had declined due to the rains in the district and demanded the government to instruct the CCI to launch the commercial procurement of cotton. They also urged the government to check the cheating of the gullible tribal farmers by the traders in the weights and payment of MSP.
On this occasion, the officials had released a poster depicting the MSP for different varieties of cotton and information pertaining to the acceptable moisture content. ZP chairman Rathode Janardhan, Boath legislator Rathode Babu Rao, additional Collector N Natraj, farmers coordination committee president Addi Bhoja Reddy, JD (agriculture) Mallesham, CCI manager Maheshwar Reddy, district agriculture officer Asha Kumari, DTP P Srinivas and others were also present.
