Arhityas from cotton belt staged protest outside Cotton Corporation of India

Sukhmeet Bhasin
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, October 15

The arthiyas from the cotton belt in Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan on Thursday staged a protest outside the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) office in Bathinda.

The protestors raised slogans against the government, and the CCI here.

Alleging to benefit the private player, the CCI is not making direct purchases from the market, citing low quality or high mositure content.

They stated, that either citing low moisture content or low quality of cotton, private procurement agencies force farmers to sell their produce at a much lower rate than the MSP.

The MSP for cotton is Rs 5,725 per quintal, and farmers in the region have been selling their produce at Rs 5,000 and even as below Rs 4,600.

With government agencies dragging their feet on procurement of cotton, it is the cotton-sowing farmers who have been subjected to open loot by the private traders by quoting a price below the MSP fixed by the Centre.

Vijay Kalra, president of the Federation of Arhtiya Association of Punjab, alleged, that the agriculture input was increasing day-by-day while governments, and procurement agencies in connivance with private companies were looting farmers.

He said, that the commission agents also have many committed expenses and we have only a source of earning through commission of the crop, but CCI makes direct purchases from the farmers, which is also wrong.

Lashing out at the Narendra Modi led union government, Kalra said: “Now these three farm laws will directly affect the farmers and commission agents as Punjab and Haryana are the two states where mandi system exists and this is the reason that paddy and wheat is procured by the government agencies on MSP here, where in Bihar, there are no mandi system, due to which farmers go to the market with his produce as there is no buyer, he has to sold at the price whatever he gets”.

He said, thate these laws would not only render the commission agents, but will also affect the farmers who will not get the financial help as and when they need it.

A CCI official said: “We purchase cotton with a moisture range of 8-12 per cent, but as of now the crop being brought by farmers has a moisture content ranging from 16-22 per cent. We are repeatedly appealing to the farmers to adhere to guidelines.”