Maharashtra minister says Kharif cotton buying will commence in November

Cotton procurement for the 2021-22 kharif season will begin in the first week of November, according to Minister of Cooperation and Marketing Balasaheb Patil on Wednesday.

Patil took stock of cotton cultivation in Maharashtra during a meeting here. He authorised the agency to begin early cotton purchase as early as the first week of November in order to allow timely sales and income for farmers.

The directions follow a delay in the last kharif season caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown, for which procurement centres did not open on time.

Cotton sowing in the current kharif season was done on 39.37 lack hectares, compared to 42.08 lakh hectares last year, Agriculture Minister Satish Patil said. The area under cotton sowing has declined by 6.44 per cent, he said. Patil directed officials to ensure CCTV cameras at every centre.