Cotton being sold below MSP, Punjab Agri minister seeks CCI intervention

Chandigarh, Sep 24 (PTI) With the cotton crop being sold below the minimum support price (MSP) in the state, Punjab Agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Wednesday sought the intervention of the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) to intervene in the market to ensure farmers get the right price for their crop.

Addressing the media here, Khudian said against the MSP of Rs 7,710 per quintal, farmers are receiving in the range of Rs 5,600-5,800 a quintal in mandis.

He pointed out that the area under cotton crop in the state grew 20 per cent this year.

He said farmers brought 1.19 lakh hectares under the cotton crop as against 99,000 hectares last year.

The minister said the state government has been making efforts to encourage farmers to diversify from the water-guzzling paddy crop to other crops like cotton.

Khudian said the cotton, which is arriving in the market, is fetching prices less than the MSP, resulting in the "loot" of cotton growers.

He said the state government had asked the CCI to enter the cotton market for the crop purchase.

He urged the CCI to intervene in the market so that farmers get the right price for their crop. PTI CHS TRB