Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal has called Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in Punjab’s ongoing cotton procurement crisis. Badal expressed his concern over the complaints received from farmers regarding the downgrading of the minimum support price (MSP) for cotton by the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI). Farmers reported that the CCI is inconsistently procuring cotton, causing distress among cotton growers in the state.
Badal highlighted that the CCI has allegedly imposed a quality cut of ₹150 on the MSP for long-staple cotton, offering a reduced rate of ₹6,770 per quintal instead of the earlier rate of ₹6,920 per quintal. He further pointed out that procurement activities have been frequently disrupted, leaving farmers with no choice but to sell their produce to private players at much lower rates, ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹5,200 per quintal.
The SAD president urged the Prime Minister to issue instructions to ensure uninterrupted and smooth cotton procurement in Punjab. He also demanded that farmers be provided with an MSP of ₹6,920 per quintal and requested the clearance of arrears owed to those who had already sold their produce to the CCI at the lower rate of ₹6,770 per quintal.
Farmers in Punjab, particularly in the Abohar belt, have been significantly impacted by the inconsistent procurement practices of the CCI. The procurement process was halted on November 30, restarted on December 7, stalled again on December 9, and is expected to resume on December 12.
Badal emphasized the urgency of the situation, highlighting the difficulties faced by farmers in transporting and storing their produce due to the uncertain procurement process. Out of the approximately 3.5 lakh quintals of cotton produced in the state, only one lakh quintals have been procured by the CCI.
The SAD president’s call to Prime Minister Modi aims to address the immediate concerns of cotton farmers in Punjab, ensuring that they receive fair compensation for their produce and that procurement activities are carried out consistently and without interruptions.
