Other States - Orissa

Steps afoot to streamline cotton procurement

BERHAMPUR: Efforts are on to streamline the process of cotton procurement in Ganjam and Gajapati districts.

Last year, cotton farmers of both these districts faced problems in marketing their produce.

It had its impact on farmers of Gajapati district as this year not many farmers had shown interest in cotton cultivation. Last year, cotton was cultivated in 460 hectares in Gajapati district. There was major crop loss in Gajapati district, which dissuaded most farmers of the area from its cultivation this year.

Despite problems in marketing of the produce last year, the farmers of Ganjam district increased the area under cultivation this year. Last year cotton was cultivated in 875 hectares but this year the total extent of land under cotton cultivation increased to 1,233 hectares.

Ganjam district Collector V.K. Pandian convened a high-level meeting to organise the marketing network so that farmers in the two districts did not face any problem to sell their produce at the procurement price fixed by the government.

Representatives of three agricultural firms who had been entrusted with the task to procure cotton from these two districts also attended the meeting along with agricultural officers. It was decided to make payments to these farmers through cheques and to use the regulated markets local cooperatives for the cotton procurement process.

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