Tuesday, September 21, 2010

VJAS flays Central Govt. decision to keep Cotton Procurement Price (MSP) unchanged

VJAS flays Central Govt. decision to keep Cotton Procurement Price (MSP) unchanged

NAGPUR: Sep 21, 2010, 05.15pm IST

Union Agriculture ministry has added fuel in the on going agrarian crisis in cotton growing region of India through it’s price-fixing arm - Commission for Agricultural Pricing and Costs (CACP) that the prevailing minimum support price (MSP) of cotton will be unchanged for this khariff season 2010-11 as this has been disclosed in letter to the Maharashtra State Co-operative Cotton Growers Marketing Federation Limited (Mahacot) who urged earlier to the central government to raise cotton MSP to 3,500, Kishor Tiwari of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), informed in press release today.

Earlier Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), an advocacy group representing cotton farmers, has demanded an increase in the minimum support price (MSP) of cotton from the current Rs.3,000 a quintal to Rs. 4,500 high lighting the steep rice in cultivation cost and heavy losses and damaged most of the standing Bt cotton crop due to Excessive rains

“Commission for Agricultural Pricing and Costs (CACP) rejection of the demand to raise cotton MSP is baseless as with all parameters governing the mechanism of fixing the minimum support price suggests that MSP of cotton should not be less than Rs.4500/- more over Since last four months, cotton bales were being sold above Rs.35,000 and cottonseed is being sold above Rs.1,500 a quintal. Future trading till December in national and international commodity exchanges is showing a bullish trend amid reports of massive cotton crop losses in India, China, Pakistan as well as in the United States because of bad weather conditions .this matter unjust to the more than 90 million cotton farmers in India who opted record cultivation which is spread over 110 lakh hectares in indian for kharif season 2010-11 and this decision of keeping the cotton MSP unchanged is nothing but giving open license to textile mafia and cotton traders to exploit dying cotton farmers ,we will not allow this to happen and will take the matter to street and will compel Commission for Agricultural Pricing and Costs (CACP) to fix MSP a per their prevailing mechanism and to redress hardship’ Kishor Tiwari of VJAS said .

‘In fact we also strongly objected the recommendation of the Maharashtra State Co-operative Cotton Growers Marketing Federation Limited (Mahacot) to the central government to raise cotton MSP to 3,500,targeting it’s chairman NP Hirani's working to benefit the trading community, who can get the commodity cheap from the farmers and take advantage of the export market but CACP rejection to this ridiculous demand of Mahacot is nothing but part of the conspiracy by cotton traders and Agricuture Minister Sharad Pawar ," said Tiwari.

"Only a price of 4,500 can help cotton growers tide over the difficult situation caused by excessive rains ,we will ask all parties to help cotton growers of India ," the VJAS stressed.

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