Nagpur: The Maharashtra govt procured 44 lakh quintals of cotton through the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) as of March 18, ensuring that farmers receive the Minimum Support Price (MSP), marketing minister Jaykumar Rawal informed the Legislative Council on Thursday.
Responding to a question by city MLC Abhijit Wanjari during a short-term discussion, Rawal assured the House that cotton procurement was not halted and that 124 cotton purchasing centres were operational across the state. This year, the MSP for long-staple cotton was set at Rs7,521 per quintal, while for medium-staple cotton, it was Rs7,121 per quintal. Cotton is processed through ginning and pressing units, with agreements spanning from September to September year on year.
Apart from cotton, Rawal also provided updates on the procurement of other key crops. He stated that 11.21 lakh tons of soybean were purchased this year under the MSP scheme. Additionally, the state govt is actively buying tur (pigeon pea), moong (green gram), urad (black gram), and chana (chickpeas) at MSP rates to ensure fair pricing for farmers.
The minister reaffirmed the govt's commitment to increasing farmers' incomes by improving irrigation capacity, strengthening infrastructure, and expanding market opportunities. Maharashtra is the first state in India to introduce a private market committee policy aimed at streamlining agricultural trade and benefiting farmers.
The discussion also saw participation from MLAs Sadabhau Khot, Amol Mitkari, Parinay Fuke, and Arun Lad, who highlighted various agricultural concerns.
