Deshmukh demands cotton MSP of Rs 6,500 per quintal

Senior NCP leader Anil Deshmukh today demanded that the BJP Government in Maharashtra pay a higher minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 6,500 per quintal for cotton this year as thousands of farmers were in distress.
"Untimely rains have damaged cotton and soyabean crops all over the State. Cotton growers were the most affected lot. Hence, the Government should provide a minimum support price of Rs 6,500 per quintal for cotton," he said at a press conference here.
The MSP for cotton for 2013-14 was Rs 3,700 per quintal.
Nafed (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India) and Maharashtra State Cotton Marketing Federation are yet to start procurement of cotton since they have not entered into the routine agreement so far, the former Minister said.

The Centre should make available required funds for cotton procurement. Also, the decision of Nafed (which works under Union Agriculture Ministry) to restrict procurement per cotton grower to just 25 per cent of his total produce was not justified, he said.
Nafed had earlier announced that cotton procurement will be undertaken from November to January 2015. However, this duration should be relaxed since sowing took place late due to delayed rains, the NCP leader said.
To a question, he said this year the demand from China will be less since the neighbouring country has a stockpile of 20 million tonnes of cotton with them.