CCI to start procuring cotton after Diwali in Telangana: Kishan Reddy

Hyderabad: Union Minister Kishan Reddy said that 293 ginning and spinning mills, will start functioning across Telangana after Diwali and the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) will start procuring cotton.

Addressing media here on Thursday after a review meeting with the CCI, NAFED, FCI and Telangana State Marketing Officers, he directed the CCI DGM, Amarnath Reddy to take stern action against the officials who are negligent in the procurement of cotton.

He asked officials that cotton procurement should benefit farmers and no brokers or private traders should be allowed. He said that the CCI is conducting awareness programmes for farmers through handouts to ensure that the moisture content in the cotton brought to the market is low. "We are using Aadhaar-based cash transfers in cotton procurement and, this will be a transparent process," he added.

He asked to make available moisture measuring machine at every procurement center and assured farmers that there will not be any delay in the procurement process. Despite lower cotton yields this year, he assured the farmers that the authorities would buy cotton at a minimum supportive price with due diligence. He urged farmers not to sell cotton to private traders at low prices in panic.

During his review with the FCI officials on paddy procurements, he said many farmers in the State had cultivated a fine variety of paddy following the State government instructions. Also, reminded that it promised to procure all the paddy. He urged the State government to take the responsibility for the same and do justice to the fine rice variety cultivated farmers.

He said that the guidelines to procure paddy across the country are same and there would be no discrepancy in the procurement of grains for implementing the Food Security Act. The FCI would procure grains only based on quality MSP.

He asked the State government to amass the paddy harvested by the farmers in Telangana. He also reminded everyone that the Chief Minister had promised to pay bonuses and requested the State government to implement them now.

The Minister has urged all the States to implement the new agriculture laws for the benefit of the farmers and to protect their interests.

He predicted that the new farmer acts would increase demand for agricultural products over the next two years. Also mentioned that the Central government has already taken steps to export agricultural products overseas. He said the food processing industry would benefit from the product-based incentive scheme announced recently.