Five Milliuon Cotton Farmers in Deep Crisis as Distress sale of cotton at less than Guaranteed Price
Dated 23rd October 2019
In Maharashtra , the arrival of cotton in kharif season has started this year and Retailers are buying from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 4,000 per quintal for debt trapped farmers This year, even though cotton has been declared a guaranteed price of Rs. 5,500/- as no COTTON CROP. OF INDIA (C.C.I) ,the only agency to buy the cotton at MSP ,in Maharashtra in last five years over 12,000 cotton farmers have committed suicides and daily 3 to 4 farmers are committing suicides due to debt and economic collapse of rural economy in addition to that chemical farming and climate change is adding fuel by reducing the productivity of cotton and as brokers have started buying cotton at the rate of below MSP at very low prices.and to save cotton farmers Kishore Tiwari, Shiv Sena leader. and veteran farm activist has urged the centre to start procurement centers before Diwali and if CCI fail to start buying cotton immediately at all the collection centers in Maharashtra then Shiv Sena will definitely start agitation on the road ,Tiwari said today
Although cotton season has been delayed due to the return of rainfall in some parts of Maharashtra, some places have already started sowing cotton in early June. Due to the return rains, the cotton from become wet,Farmers in the financial crisis are bringing cotton for sale but cotton traders have not yet been started by the ginning factories under the market committee. Maharashtra State Cotton Manufacturers Marketing Federation and CCI have said that cotton procurement will start after Diwali. On the other hand, traders are paying lower rates citing the reason for soaking cotton.
Despite the low cotton production in the last season, the global recession, last season's balance stocks, slump in the prices of surplus, rising imports due to various reasons, cotton prices are less than guaranteed in this season. These market differences are less than two thousand rupees less than the per quintal than MSP
The agricultural economy of MAHARASHTRA depends on the cotton crop. Cotton cultivation is mostly in dryland region and about5% of the area is pre-harvested cotton. The past four to five years have been tough for cotton growers. In recent times, the crisis of pink bonds has devastated farmers. In the meantime, this year there are signs of a fall in cotton production due to excess rainfall.
Since the traders are not getting the expected rate of cotton, the Cotton Marketing Federation and the CCI will ensure that the cotton inflows will not increase until the government buys it till November 5. Farmer leaders have feared that even if they are started at select collection centers, they will put huge taxpayer conditions.
During the Gujarat Assembly elections, the government announced the bonus behind the quintal. Shiv Sena leader Kishore Tiwari has demanded that the government should assure that CCI will buy cotton for Rs5.500/-plus bonus as given in Gujarat
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