Lok Sabha Question No. 1088 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-22
Subject: Cotton Growers
Ministry: TEXTILES
Asked by: Mansukhbhai Dhanjibhai Vasava

## COTTON GROWERS

## 1088.   SHRI MANSUKHBHAI DHANJIBHAI VASAVA:

Will the Minister of TEXTILES वस्त्र मंरी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  received  complaints  from  cotton  growers/organizations regarding procurement of cotton in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the number of persons found guilty in this regard;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  paid  attention  towards  distress  sale  of  cotton  and  cotton products in the country; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government to solve the problems of cotton growers of the country?

## उत्तर

## ANSWER

## वस्त्र मंरी ( श्रीमती स्त्म ृ तत ज़ूबिन इरानी )

## MINISTER OF TEXTILES (SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) & (b): There is no specific complaint from cotton growers/organizations regarding procurement  of  cotton  in  the  country.      However,  during  the  cotton  season  2014-15,  some irregularities took place in Cotton purchase in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Cotton Corporation of India  (CCI)  Limited  undertook  massive  procurement  operation  under  Minimum  Support  Price (MSP) and procured 86.97 lakh bales. Since, the procurement operation was the biggest ever, some lapses in identification of cotton farmers were noticed. In the investigation, it was established that the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) officials were responsible to certify the genuinity of farmers. However, for Administrative lapses of CCI officials, necessary action had been taken by issuing Administrative warning to the concerned officers.

Further, to overcome such type of situation, Government of India had requested all major cotton producing states to devise procedure so that the officials from State Agriculture Department ,District Collectors and Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) official may ensure that only bonafide cotton farmers sell their produce to Nodal Agencies without any involvement of Commission Agents or middlemen or traders so as to ensure that the benefit of  MSP is received by cotton farmers only and not by anyone else. Thereafter, digital identification of farmers by State Government has been introduced in the State of Andhra Pradesh. Since then, there has been no complaint.

(c) & (d): Yes, Sir.   In  order to  avoid  distress  sale  of  cotton  by  farmers  and  with  a  view  to safeguard the interest of cotton farmers, the following steps have been taken:-

- i) 610 procurement points including 367 procurement centers covering 125 districts in 12 cotton growing states have been opened in all the cotton growing States under 18 procurement & sales branches of Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) Ltd.
2. ii) Disseminating the necessary information regarding Minimum Support Price (MSP) rates  to  cotton  farmers  by  displaying  banners  in  Agricultural  Produce  Market Committees (APMCs), Advertisements in newspapers, distribution of pamphlets to individual farmers, etc.
3. iii) To  co-ordinate  and  monitor  MSP  operation,  MSP  Cell  constituted  at  Corporate Office, Zonal Office & Branch Office.
4. iv) Implemented 100% payment of cotton purchased under MSP to the cotton farmers directly in their account through online system within 72 hours.
- v) Established a farmer friendly mobile app 'Cott-Ally' to ensure direct interaction and outreach with the cotton farmers.
6. vi) Digitalized moisture meters, Micronaire testers and hand-held ginning machines to ensure quality based prices to cotton farmers.
7. vii) Laptops  along  with  web-cams  and  printers  for  electronic  generation  of  bills  with farmers' photos on takpatti to ensure prompt payments directly in cotton farmer's bank accounts.
8. viii) As on 18 th November 2019, CCI has procured around 4 lakh quintals kapas from the farmers mainly in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Telangana and at some  centres  in  the  states  of  Gujarat,  Maharashtra,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

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