The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) will soon start cotton procurement as states work out norms for controlling crowds of farmers in the wholesale markets (mandis). Around 25 per cent of the produce still remains with the farmers. CCI chairman-cum-managing director P Alli Rani had written letters to states to direct cotton mandis to start procurement.
Following that, states like Maharashtra, Punjab and Telangana had issued guidelines to allow cotton procurement operations. A few more states are expected to issue similar guidelines soon. District collectors have asked mandis to take measures like issuance of hourly passes to farmers, which would see a limited number of growers coming to the markets.The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) will soon start cotton procurement as states work out norms for controlling crowds of farmers in the wholesale markets (mandis). Around 25 per cent of the produce still remains with the farmers. CCI chairman-cum-managing director P Alli Rani had written letters to states to direct cotton mandis to start procurement.#
CCI procures cotton via the mandis with the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs) certifying the produce.
This year CCI has procured a record 84.5 lakh bales (each bale weighing 170 kg) of ginned cotton till now.
However, the labour problem at the mandis and the ginning and pressing mills, which are outsourced by the CCI for their operations, have become a major issue for the corporation, according to a report in a top Indian newspaper. At the farmers' end, transportation of raw cotton to the mandis is also an issue. Same is the situation at the ginning and pressing mills were the raw kapas is combed and pressed into bales.
ALCHEMPro News Desk (DS)
marketing@alchempro.com
