Date:01/12/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/12/01/stories/2007120161331000.htm

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Andhra Pradesh

CCI closes market yard

Staff Reporter

Lakhs of cotton bales pile up on the premises

Farmers told not to bring stocks till December 3
Only 24,000 quintals have been purchased so far

Heavy burden: Cotton stocks disallowed into CCI market yard at Nakrekal in Nalgonda district on Friday.

NAKREKAL (NALGONDA): The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) has once again dashed the hopes of cotton farmers by closing down its market yard here citing ‘space constraint’ as the reason.

Instead of forcing the contractor to lift the stocks on regular basis, the market yard management locked the main door and pasted a news item published in a Telugu daily on the walls asking farmers not to bring their stocks till December 3.

The otherwise hectic market yard here wears a deserted look as lakhs of cotton bales piled up in its sprawling campus. “We are trying our best to force the contractor to shift the stocks to accommodate the fresh arrivals but he is not obliging our requests and orders,” the market yard secretary V. Appa Rao told The Hindu on Friday.

According to Mr. Rao, the contractor had been facing three crucial problems--hamalis, transportation and payment. It’s indeed a bad news for the farmers.

Complaint lodged

“We sent him a telegram and made a complaint with the Joint Collector but this contractor is not lifting the purchased stocks creating a space problem here,” Mr. Rao said adding that he didn’t know where to keep the stocks that would arrive from Monday.

Farmers, who reaped a bumper harvest this time, seem to be unaware of the “temporary closure” of the market yard.

The sale of cotton that got started in November would hit the highest point in December but the Cotton Corporation of India is ill-equipped to purchase the stocks without much ado.

So far only 24,000 quintals had been purchased and heavy rush is expected flood the market.

Unprepared to put up with the uncertainty in the Cotton Corporation of India centre at Nakrekal, farmers prefer to rely on middlemen.

“Though the Cotton Corporation of India pays between Rs.1,900 to Rs.2,040, we are selling off our produce for businessmen of Guntur for Rs.1,850. They collect the stocks from our doorsteps and ensure prompt payment,” Venkanna, a ryot of China Suraram commented.