HYDERABAD: Telangana’s Agriculture Minister, Tummala Nageswara Rao, has issued a directive to the Marketing Department authorities: immediately notify the ginning mills that have successfully bid in the cotton procurement tenders. The goal is clear – initiate the purchase of cotton produce from farmers without delay.
During a virtual review meeting held on Sunday, specifically focused on cotton procurement, Minister Rao highlighted that a substantial 328 ginning mills participated in the bids invited by the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI). The technical bid process, which began with tender openings on October 10, was slated for completion by October 11.
The Minister stressed the importance of district collectors promptly informing these successful ginning mills to accelerate the entire procurement operation. Furthermore, he encouraged farmers to register their details, including mobile numbers, on the CCI’s ‘Kapas Kisan’ mobile application. This registration is crucial for facilitating the sale of their cotton at the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
For farmers who may not have their mobile numbers linked or are not already in the CCI database, Minister Rao instructed officials to enable registration through their Aadhaar numbers and a generated OTP. New farmers should also be allowed to register afresh to ensure inclusivity in the procurement process.
Expanding MSP Coverage for More Crops
In a related development, Minister Rao has addressed a letter to the Union Minister for Agriculture, Shivraj Singh Chouhan. His request is significant: to remove the current limit on procuring 25% of the total produce for crops like sesamum, bengalgram, groundnut, soybean, and greengram under the Price Support Scheme (PSS). Additionally, he urged the inclusion of maize and jowar under the PSS, aiming for broader agricultural support for farmers.
Meanwhile, in a separate review meeting held on Saturday, Minister for Civil Supplies N. Uttam Kumar Reddy outlined the state’s extensive plans for paddy procurement. The Civil Supplies Corporation is preparing to procure 80 lakh tonnes of paddy, which represents a substantial portion of the estimated production of 148.03 lakh tonnes from 66.80 lakh acres. This procurement target includes 40 lakh tonnes each of fine and common paddy varieties.
Out of the 8,342 procurement centres planned for the ongoing Kharif marketing season, 1,205 centres are already operational and have commenced procurement activities. These centres are managed by various entities: IKP (Indira Kranthi Patham) will oversee 3,517, PACS (Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies) will manage 4,259, and other agencies will operate 566. The government aims to complete the Kharif paddy procurement by the end of the second week of January.