• Investment World
• eWorld
• Catalyst
• Mentor
• Life
• Canvas
• Praxis
• Urban Pulse
• Brand Quest

Stocks

• Quotes
• SE Diary
• Scoreboard
• Open-End Mutual Fund

Port Info

• Ships in Ports
  
  

Archives

• Yesterday
• Datewise
• Resources

Group Sites

• The Hindu
• Business Line
• The Sportstar
• Frontline
• The Hindu eBooks
• The Hindu Images

G. Gurumurthy

Coimbatore , June 6

COTTON growers in the Southern districts of Tamil Nadu are agitated over the fall in the prices of summer cotton. With the full-throated harvest expected to commence anytime after June 15, the farmers' grievances have already attracted the attention of the State Agriculture Department. In the last two days, top officials have been touring the key cotton belts down South.

The widespread complaints from the cotton farmers on the sharp drop in the prices offered at the trader-driven local market has also triggered speculation that the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) may go for market intervention by opening its purchase centres in at least two or three places, cotton trade sources said.

A team of CCI officials and the State Agriculture Department officials, including the Commissioner of Agriculture, Mr Jagmohan Singh Raju, on Monday visited Paramakudi, Rajapalayam and Virudhunagar to hear the cotton growers' grievances.

The sources told Business Line that CCI may start two purchase centres, possibly in Paramakudi and Rajapalayam, within the next few days and start buying kapas from the growers in the region.

CCI has been called by the State Agriculture Department to explore the possibility of early procurement of cotton kapas to pep up the falling price.

The sources said with the State expected to have a huge summer cotton this time, the kapas' prices in Southern Tamil Nadu has plummeted far below the minimum support price (MSP) announced by the Centre for the 2004-05 season.

The sources said as against the MSP of Rs 1815/Rs 1835 a quintal for a staple length of 26 mm/27 mm , the current price quoted in the local market in the region is said to be between Rs 1200 and Rs 1400. The farmers are asking the State Government to ensure remunerative prices for their produce.

The State Agriculture Department, which backed the efforts by the cotton sector in the State to organise contract cultivation of cotton under the integrated cotton development programme, is also keen that to see that the farmers are protected by CCI's centralised support purchase programme.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Crude futures catching fancy of bullion, equity investors

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line