Temporary suspension of cotton auction, a concern for farmers

The temporary suspension of weekly cotton auction at the Konganapuram branch of the Tiruchendur Agriculture Producers Cooperative Marketing Society for the three consecutive weeks has proved a matter of concern for the farmers.

Konganapuram society is a major cotton auction centre in the western region. The society organises cotton auction every Saturday, in which traders from Salem, Erode, Namakkal, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri and Tiruvannamalai participate.

With the cotton harvest season in full swing, the arrival of cotton at the auction centre was at its peak. Due to this, cotton auction was held for two more days – Fridays and Sundays during last month.

With a large number of farmers taking part in the auction, the traders found it difficult to remove the stock from the godown and the yard of the society.

Due to paucity of space to stock more cotton bags, the society temporarily suspended the cotton auction for the third consecutive time on last Saturday (March 21).

About one lakh bags of cotton worth Rs. 30 crore has been stocked in the godown and the yard of the society for the past few weeks, the society sources told

The Hindu today. With no space for keeping more stock, the society was forced to cancel the auction for the past three weeks, the sources said. However, the Society will resume the regular auction from April 10, the sources added.