Staff Reporter
After
almost negligible procurement in past five years, Maharashtra State
Co-operative Cotton Growers Marketing Federation (MSCCGMF or Cotton
Federation) procured a handsome 650 quintals of cotton on the very first
day of procurement this time. Cotton Federation started procurement for
the season 2014-15 on Saturday at 27 centres across the State.
With
the cotton prices at a five-year low in international market, and the
Government not starting procurement centres, farmers were forced to sell
cotton at a price below the Minimum Support Price (MSP) in open market.
For past few years, cotton-growers were getting good price in open
market and it was more than the MSP declared by Central Government. They
were happy. However, this time, with crashing of cotton prices, farmers
had their only hope in procurement at MSP at Government centres. In
Maharashtra, the Government started procurement through MSCCGMF from
Saturday.
 |
| Published in The Hitavada CityLine on November 16, 2014 |
The plan is to open 100 centres at the end of third phase
of procurement. Of these 100 centres, as many as 50 are proposed in
Vidarbha region. With the prevailing market conditions, MSCCGMF
procurement evoked a very good response and 650 quintals of cotton was
procured on the very first day of the season. For the first time,
MSCCGMF is working as an agent of Cotton Corporation of India (CCI),
instead of National Agricultural Co-operative Marketing Federation
(NAFED).
In the first phase, only 27 centres have been opened across
the State. Of these, 13 are in Vidarbha reegion. Of a total 650
quintals of cotton procured on the very first day, 430 quintals was
procured in Vidarbha alone. This is the highest in past five years. In
2010-11, 2011-12, and 2013-14, MSCCGMF could not procure even a single
bale throughout the procurement season as farmers preferred open market
over the Government procurement. In 2009-10, the procurement in entire
season was only 14,000 bales. It was 12,000 bales in the entire season
of 2012-13.
Dr N P Hirani, Chairman of MSCCGMF, expressed happiness
over the first-day procurement. He told ‘The Hitavada’ that procurement
at MSP might lead to traders raising procurement price in open market
also in days to come. Still, he said, the MSP of Rs 4,050 per quintal
was insufficent considering the input cost involved in cotton
production. “Due to bumper production of cotton, prices have crashed
internationally and nationally. Traders are offering only Rs 3,800 in
open market. In such a situation, procurement by Cotton Federation at Rs
4,050 is certainly a respite to farmers,” he said. He predicted prices
in open market to go up to Rs 4,500 per quintal.
Year-wise procurement of cotton and its value
-----------------------------------------------
Year Procurement
(in lakh quintals)
-----------------------------------------------
1984-85 86.62
1985-86 145.18
1986-87 63.67
1987-88 61.18
1988-89 57.13
1989-90 100.93
1990-91 65.85
1991-92 51.21
1992-93 94.85
1993-94 65.11
1994-95 52.17
1995-96 131.03
1996-97 149.89
1997-98 88.35
1998-99 120.46
1999-2000 175.98
2000-01 74.50
2001-02 153.18
2002-03 23.58
2003-04 0.032
2004-05 211.65
2005-06 18.85
2006-07 32.65
2007-08 1.29
2008-09 167.94
2009-10 0.14
2010-11 Nil
2011-12 Nil
2012-13 0.12
2013-14 Nil
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(Source: MSCCGMF)
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