Khammam: Set up cotton procurement centres at market yards
District Collector RV Karnan discussing arrangements for cotton procurement at a review meeting in Khammam on Monday
Khammam: District Collector RV Karnan has directed the district officials to commence arrangements for setting up CCI procurement centres at all market yards across the district.
He discussed and reviewed preparations for cotton procurement during monsoon with agriculture, marketing, police, fire and transport department officials along with the office bearers of market committees, Chambers of Commerce and ginning mills owners at a meeting at his office in Khammam on Monday.
The Collector asked agriculture and marketing officials, agriculture market committees office bearers and ginning mills proprietors to work in coordination towards smooth procurement of cotton in this season. The extent of cotton was increased in this season and the crop was grown in about 1,01,675 hectares. About 2,26,136 metric tonnes of yield was expected. Based on crop booking data, the CCI procurement centres have to be established at Madhira, Nelakondapalli, Enkoor, Wyra besides Khammam markets, he stated.
Every centre should be equipped with required facilities such as moisture testing machines, weighing machines etc. Covid-19 guidelines have to be followed strictly during the procurement season at all the markets, he ordered.
Karnan suggested that care has to be taken to ensure that majority of cotton produce would be procured by the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) and to avoid the problems faced during the last procurement season.
Rythu Bandhu Samithi coordinator N Venkateswar Rao pointed out that due to lack of facilities at ginning mills in the district, farmers were forced to wait on roads for days with their vehicles carrying loads of cotton produce, in the past. Hence, he requested to take measures to see that CCI procures the produce at minimum support procure (MSP) and to avoid the exploitation of farmers by middlemen and private traders in the procurement.
Khammam Agriculture Market Committee Chairman M Venkata Ramana assured that all line departments, ginning mills and Chambers of Commerce will coordinate with each other to procure cotton from farmers at MSP.
ZP CEO Ch Priyanka, Additional Collector N Madhusudhan Rao, CCI AGM Praveen Kumar, District Marketing Officer Nagaraju, District Agriculture Officer Vijaya Nirmala and others were present.