The State government has started its homework on the procurement of cotton during the 2020-21 marketing season by involving the Cotton Corporation India (CCI) and private ginning mills in Telangana, with the farming community heeding to its advise on regulated farming and cultivating cotton in about 59.1 lakh acres this season.
At a meeting held with the Ginning Mills Association, Minister for Industries K.T. Rama Rao and Minister for Agriculture S. Niranjan Reddy suggested the millers to be proactive in cotton purchases and assured them that the government too was ready to examine their problems with a positive view. The ministers stated that of the 323 ginning mills in the State, 150 were established after formation of Telangana and it reflected the farmers’ and entrepreneurs’ confidence in the State government.
The mills association explained their problems to the ministers and requested the government to extend energy subsidy to them on the lines of relief given to the spinning mills. The ministers assured the association at the meeting held on Monday that they would take the matter to the notice of the Chief Minister for taking a decision.
Expressing hope that there shall be good demand and price for cotton this year, the ministers said the cotton production was expected to be about 60 lakh bales (of 170 kg each). In spite of such a huge production there would not be any problem since the processing capacity of the ginning mills in the State was over one-crore bales.
The ministers also assured the association of cooperation from the State government in resolving issues with the CCI. Senior officials of the Marketing, Industries and Agriculture Departments also attended the meeting.
