By November 18 this year, the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) had procured around 4 lakh quintals of raw cotton from farmers, mainly in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Telangana, and at some centres in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, textiles minister Smriti Irani informed parliament lower house recently.
To avoid distress sale of cotton by farmers and safeguard the interest of farmers, 610 procurement points been opened in all cotton-growing states by CCI, she said. Full payment to farmers directly in their account through online system within 72 hours for cotton purchased under the minimum support price (MSP) is being ensured.
A mobile app ‘Cott-Ally’ is also helping direct interaction and outreach with cotton farmers, she added.
