The State Cooperative Cotton Growers Federation has been complaining about manpower shortage from the previous season itself.
Maharashtra expects production of 450 lakh quintal of cotton for the 2020-21 season, with the crop being cultivated on 42.07 lakh hectare, according to co-operation and marketing minister Balasaheb Patil. The minister, who reviewed the preparations for the cotton procurement season of 2020-21, directed the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) and the Maharashtra State Cooperative Cotton Growers Federation (MSCCGF) to plan for procurement from the start of the season in coordination with agriculture produce market committees.
There should be at least one grader at each of the procurement centres in coordination with ginning pressing factor, and before purchasing cotton, the required manpower should be made available by the Department of Agriculture, he suggested.
The State Cooperative Cotton Growers Federation has been complaining about manpower shortage from the previous season itself. Senior officials from the federation said they had faced great difficulties during cotton procurement in the 2019-20 season due to lack of manpower.
PK Aggrawal, CMD, Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), who was also present for the meeting, said state government officials had mentioned that the delayed monsoon is likely to impact market arrivals, and procurement is likely to begin from the last week of October or first week of November since FAQ quality cotton will not be available at present.
“Reports have been coming in from parts of Gujarat and Maharashtra about substantial damage to the existing crop, Aggrawal said, adding that arrivals are likely to pick up in the first week of November when the moisture in the crop
will reduce.
According to CCI parameters, cotton purchased by it should not have more than 12% moisture content, he said, adding that at present, cotton in the market is not of FAQ quality and prices are a little below MSP. CCI has set up 60 procurement centres while the Maharashtra Federation has set up 30 purchase
centres.
This season, the government-declared MSP for medium staple kapas (raw unginned cotton) is Rs 5,515 per quintal while that of long staple is Rs 5,825.
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