CCI requests farmers to gradually bring in cotton crops in a phased manner

The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) tried to pacify farmers with a pledge of continuing procurement, facing the outrage of farmers over a daily limit for cotton procurement, thus asking them to "phase" their crops. 

In an official appeal to farmers on Monday, the management of CCI asked the district administration and the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMCs) to control the arrival of kapas (raw cotton) in market yards so that the fair average quality (FAQ) grade of kapas brought by farmers can be sold, weighed and billed on the same day so that farmers do not have to stand in long queues and face difficulties. 

As per the advice of the respective APMCs, the CCI management has also called on all cotton growers to put their crop in a phased manner. 

For the long staple cotton variety, the Centre has set the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for season 2020-21 of ~5,825 per quintal. At Rajkot markets, cotton prices on Monday were quoted at about 5,425 a quintal. 

CCI, the nominated nodal agency of the Government of India for the MSP cotton procurement undertaking, was set on fire by farmers and political leaders to limit regular procurement at its centers. 

After farmers faced difficulties in selling their crops at the procurement centers across cotton-growing regions like Gujarat, Punjab and other parts due to the daily cap imposed by the CCI, the Central body came up with its appeal to farmers citing the strong rush of cotton arrivals as a reason for farmers' problems. 

CCI said it has opened 440 MSP procurement centers under 15 branch offices in 140 districts in 11 cotton-growing states. 

CCI has so far procured 352 lakh quintals of kapas over a three-month span, compared to 130 lakh quintals over the same period of the previous year. A CCI statement said that current MSP procurement is about 300 percent higher than last year. 

Because of unchecked heavy kapas arrivals in market yards, farmers face difficulty and are forced to wait in long queues for days together to sell their produce and processing capacities, they are also under immense pressure, it said while reassuring farmers that CCI will remain present for procurement until September 30, 2021, and will procure farmers with full FAQ grade kapas to save them.