Yavatmal: Despite over 3 lakh quintal cotton still lying with growers in the district, Maharashtra State Co-op Cotton Growers Marketing Federation has set May 31 deadline to wind up the ongoing procurement, which was started on May 3.
According to Yavatmal district deputy registrar (DDR) of cooperative societies Ramesh Katke, 15,079 farmers have registered online with the federation, while 15,797 have registered with Cotton Corporation of India (CCI).
“So far we have procured 3,45,923 quintal from farmers registered with both the agencies,” said Katke. Over 15,000 farmers are holding their stock and our effort is to procure it by May 31, he said.
Between May 3 and 15, a total of 3.46 lakh quintal cotton has been procured yet 2.5 lakh quintal is still with the farmers. The speed of procurement is slow because of the Covid distancing that has to be followed. The work is also hampered because of staff shortage.
Cotton is to be procured before the onset of monsoon and every effort is being made to wind up the process by May 31, he said. The procurement may continue in June if need be, said the DDR.
District guardian minister Sanjay Rathod held a meeting in the office of DDR and has instructed Federation and CCI officials to ensure prompt payment to farmers so that they are able to meet Kharif expenses.
In Balaji Ginning Factory of Mukutban near Wani, sitting MLA Sanjeevreddy Bodkurwar held a joint meeting of CCI, Federation, bank representatives and other concerned and resolved to enhance procurement from 60 to 80 carts per day. Bodkurwar also instructed CCI graders in Maregaon to increase the weighing of carts up to 125 per day so that entire stock could be procured by May 31.
In Pusad, the CCI had stopped procurement from May 9 following which farmers met sitting MLA Indranil Naik and narrated their woes. On the instructions of cooperation minister Balasaheb Patil, the CCI started the centre. However, only 20-25 carts were being weighed daily. The MLA has instructed graders to expedite it up to 80 carts a day.
The Federation has also started two new centres at Kalamb and Pandharkawda which are expected to start functioning in a day or two.
Meanwhile, president of Shetkari Sanghatana Anil Dhanwat said farmers in Vidarbha and Marathwada would protest against state’s insensitivity towards the issues of cotton growers. The farmers would burn cotton in front of their house as a symbolic protest on May 22 demanding compensation to those who sold their produce to private traders below the MSP.
