The Indian textiles ministry recently reassured farmers that the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) and its agent, the Maharashtra State Cotton Growers’ Marketing Federation Ltd, are geared up to implement minimum support price (MSP) operations in Maharashtra. This followed media reports regarding problems being faced by farmers in selling raw cotton in Maharashtra’s agricultural produce market committees (APMCs).
MSP procurement has been under way in Maharashtra since October last year. As on March 25 this year, CCI had already procured 91.90 lakh quintals of raw cotton (equivalent to 18.66 lakh bales) valued at ₹4,995 crore from cotton farmers in Maharashtra through 83 centres.India recently reassured farmers that the Cotton Corporation of India and its agent, the Maharashtra State Cotton Growers' Marketing Federation Ltd, are geared up to implement minimum support price operations in Maharashtra. This followed media reports regarding problems in selling raw cotton in Maharashtra's agricultural produce market committees.#
Till March 25, around 77.4 per cent of total raw cotton produced in Maharashtra had arrived in the markets and sold to CCI and private traders. At the time of lockdown, around 22.60 per cent of cotton was yet to arrive.
Out of this outstanding raw cotton, it is estimated that around 40-50 per cent of raw cotton valued at nearly ₹2,100 crore may be of fair average quality (FAQ) grade and growers may wish to avail of MSP rates due to traders not offering better price in view of the pandemic situation, said an official press release.
The MSP operations are continuing and CCI’s procurement is on at 34 centres currently and a total of 36,500 quintals of raw cotton (equivalent to 6,900 bales) have been procured in Maharashtra during the lockdown period.
Steps have been taken by the CCI to clear the outstanding payment to the farmers for the procured raw cotton. Out of total procurement value of ₹4,995 crore, ₹4,987 crore has already reached the farmers.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
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