Modi asks Pawar to direct CCI start buying cotton at minimum support price from farmers in Gujarat

Anand, 19 April 2012

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today strongly urged Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Parwar to direct Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) to start buying raw cotton at Minimum Support Price (MSP) from farmers in Gujarat.

Taking a strong exception to CCI uncertainty and complacency in announcing MSP and selectively excluding Gujarat for cotton procurement, Mr. Modi told Mr. Pawar during his meeting with Mr. Pawar at an NDDB function at Anand that Gujarat alone produced nearly 120-lakh bales of cotton.

In the wake of bumper cotton crop this year and uncertainty over export and procurement by approved agencies, he said that farmers were left with huge stocks of at least 30-35 lakh bales of unsold cotton. The ginning and textile mills also refuse to buy the commodity.

The Chief Minister took strong exception particularly to CCI’s dual policy of selectively entering the cotton-growing constituencies of two Congress members of Parliament from Gujarat.

He said that there is a strong resentment among the farmers against the Centre’s anti-farmer and in case they resort to aggressive agitation it would be the Centre’s responsibility.