Come October, CCI to buy cotton from 103 locations
THE CORPORATION PLANS TO PROCURE A RECORD 45 LAKH QUINTALS OF COTTON THIS YEAR, MORE THAN DOUBLE ITS PURCHASE LAST KHARIF SEASON
BATHINDA: The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) has been allowed by the Punjab government to add 13 more purchase centres as cotton harvesting is set to pick up from the next week in semi-arid southern districts of Punjab.
The Punjab State Agricultural Marketing Board has notified 77 ginning factories as authorised centres to buy raw cotton. Also, the CCI has demanded permission to purchase at another six factories in different districts.
Officials said the state authorities have agreed in principle to sanction as much place demanded by the CCI for smooth purchase amid coronavirus outbreak.
In 2019, there were 90 earmarked locations for cotton purchase in various Malwa districts, of which 74 were ginning and pressing factories and 16 sites in mandis. There are total 31 mandis and this year, the CCI will buy cotton at these 20 sites and at rest of the places, private buyers will remain present.
The CCI plans to procure a record 45 lakh quintals of cotton this year, more than double its purchase last kharif season, with the pandemic hitting operations.
Of the nearly 43 lakh quintal cotton production in Punjab in 2019, the CCI had purchased 3.5 lakh bale or 17.5 lakh quintal. Private buyers bought the rest for below the minimum support price (MSP).
Last year, the MSP of ₹5,450 was fixed for per quintal for medium staple varieties in Punjab. Under the direct payment mode to farmers that the CCI started for the first time last year, around ₹1,000 crore was paid directly to cotton growers, bypassing arhtiyas or commission agents. Though harvesting will start in earnest after September 25, cotton arrival has been slower than last year.
State cotton coordinator Rajnish
Goel told HT that till Friday, 945 quintal cotton was sold in different purchase centres, compared to about 8,000 quintal sale recorded at mandi board purchase centres last year.
He added private players paid between ₹4,051 and ₹5,515 per quintal for cotton arriving in the market against the MSP of ₹5,710 per quintal. The MSP is ₹260/quintal more than 2019.
“The CCI will start buying cotton on MSP from October 1, farmers should bring the crop in mandis with 8-12% moisture for the best price. This season, cotton harvesting has been delayed by two weeks due to a delay in sowing period because of the Covid-19 outbreak,” said Goel.
State agriculture department director Sutantar Kumar Airi said barring crop loss in a few villages in Fazilka due to waterlogging, bumper harvest is expected this year.
“In the last kharif season, Punjab had produced about 43 lakh quintal cotton and we expect to surpass this. For the second consecutive year, the crop has not witnessed any major pest attack. Farmers have also saved on pesticides and insecticides,” said Airi.