Berhampur: The district administration is going to start cotton procurement from December 15. The administration has asked the regulated market committee (RMC), Digapahandi to make all arrangements for opening of the mandi, the lone cotton procurement centre in the district.
The administration has also asked officials to create awareness among farmers to sell their produce at the government-run mandi instead of selling cotton to private traders from Andhra Pradesh, District Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange said.
The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) will purchase all cotton of farmers from the mandi and supply it to different spinning mills across the country after processing.
According to Arun Mishra, the secretary of Digapahandi , RMC, last year the RMC Digapahandi had procured 4,883 quintals of the cotton through its mandi. This year, over 5,000 quintals of cotton is expected.
He said after procurement, the CCI would process the cotton in the ginning mill that is being set up by the RMC Digapahandi. A 50- quintal processing per day ginning mill is under construction and expected to start functioning from January 26, he said.
The Collector has also instructed officials to expedite the work to start the operation of the ginning mill from January 26 in a recent review meeting held on cotton procurement. The ginning mill is being set up with an investment of around Rs 2.20 crore. It was learnt that last year over 6,900 quintals of cotton was produced in the state while the cotton cultivation was undertaken in around 858 hectares.
This time, the farmers are expected to produce over 8,400 quintals of cotton even though the cotton areas reduced to 557 hectares. Rain during the harvest season had damaged cotton crops last year, he said, adding that this time a high yield is being expected due to the favourable climate.
Cotton is generally grown in five blocks of the district such as Patrapur, Sanakhemundi, Sorada, Digapahandi and Sheragad. District Collector asked the agriculture officials to expand the cotton-growing areas in the district as it is a cash crop. He also said they have planned to set up another ginning mill at RMC, Hinjili.
PNN