'Cotton being sold below MSP', Punjab agri minister seeks CCI intervention

Chandigarh, Sep 24 (PTI) With the cotton crop being sold below the minimum support price (MSP) in the state, Punjab Agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Wednesday sought the intervention of the Cotton

Corporation of India (CCI) to intervene in the market to ensure farmers get the right price for their crop.

He asked the CCI to start crop procurement at the MSP, saying absence of the central agency in state mandis, despite its arrival, has left farmers vulnerable to distress sales to private players.

Addressing the media here, Khudian said against the MSP of Rs 7,710 per quintal, farmers are receiving in the range of Rs 5,600-5,800 a quintal in mandis.

Khudian said cotton, which is arriving in the market, is fetching prices less than the MSP, resulting in the “loot” of cotton growers.

He pointed out that the area under cotton crop in the state grew 20 per cent this year.

He said farmers brought 1.19 lakh hectares under the cotton crop as against 99,000 hectares last year.

Despite a 20 per cent increase in area under cotton cultivation, due to the Punjab government’s proactive initiatives under crop diversification drive, farmers are facing despair due to the CCI’s “conspicuous absence”, he alleged.

“The crop is here. The farmers are here. But where is the CCI?” he asked.

The minister said the state government has been making efforts to encourage farmers to diversify from the water-guzzling paddy crop to other crops like cotton.

Highlighting the state’s efforts to boost cotton cultivation, he said the state government’s 33 per cent subsidy on hybrid cotton seeds and other proactive measures resulted in a significant increase in cotton cultivation.

Farmers, who invested their savings and labour based on the MSP announced by the Centre, are now being forced into distress sales to meet urgent financial needs.

“We did our part. Our farmers did their part with unparalleled faith. Now, the Centre must do its part. We demand that the CCI immediately commence procurement without any further delay. Every quintal sold below MSP undermines farmers’ faith in the Centre’s system. The time for action is now,” stated Khudian. PTI CHS TRB TRB