Cotton procurement by the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) in West Bengal has remained stagnant at less than 1,500 quintals for the last few years, as farmers resist the use of hybrid seeds for increasing production. | |
| In spite of the target of increasing the Kharif cotton acerage to 1, 850 hectre this year, there was no procurement by the council in the season. |
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| The government had identified the districts of Birbhum, Bankura, Purulia, West Medinipore and Bardhaman for the Kharif cultivation. |
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| According to an official at the CCI, farmers prefer to cultivate cotton only in Rabi season, after paddy is harvested from th fields. |
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| Thus while for the rest of the country the July-August months or the Rabi season is a lean period, for West Bengal it is the peak season. |
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| Even in the Rabi season, the farmers are unwilling to cultivate cotton as against the procurement target of 4,000 quintal, as this year the corporation could procure only 1,200 quintals of cotton from the four Rabi cotton -growing areas of North and South-24 Parganas, East Medinipore and Howrah. |
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| In order to encourage cotton cultivation and in keeping with the good demand for Bengal cotton, this year the procurement agency has offered a price of Rs 2,000 per quintal of cotton to farmers, against the minimum support price of Rs 1,835. |
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| While in states like Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra, the procurement price depends upon market conditions, and varies day to day, in case of Bengal, an uniform price is offered to the farmers because of the low produce. |
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| The traditional LRA 5166 variety of Bengal cotton, was in good demand outside West Bengal, and if commercially produced would reap significant benefits to both farmers and traders, the official said . |
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| Due to good demand this season, the corporation expects to sell cotton at an average price of rs 5,600 quintal. |
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| "It is not that we are not giving good prices to the farmers, as more than 60 per cent of the cotton we procure is seed," he said |
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| CCI apart from selling cotton to government mills, also sells cotton to handful private mills in the state. |
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| Due to the government's apathy, the over the last 10 years, the number of cotton mills in the state came down from 39 in the 90's to around 13 at present. |
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| Nearly 13 National Textile Corporation mills and 15 private mills suspended operations in the span of 10 years. |
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| "It is not that cotton cannot be grown in the state. For the last 10 years, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, a subsidiary of the Indian Council for agriculture Reseach has been working towrads increasing the cotton productivity. If fact they have succeeded in cultivating good quality cotton in Sunderban," said the official, adding "there is lack of awareness about hybrid seeds in West Bengal. Farmers fear that they will suffer loss if they use hybrid seeds." |
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| Recently, the Naren De, state agriculture minister had announced an ambitious mission to raise the area under cotton cultivation in the state from the present 500-700 acre to 5,000 acre by the end of 11th Five-year Plan. |
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