Odisha MLA raises market worry of cotton growers in Assembly

Bhubaneswar: Drawing the attention of members of the State Assembly about difficulties faced by cotton growers in Odisha, Khandapada legislator Soumya Ranjan Patnaik today said the government should encourage the cultivation of profitable crops apart from paddy.

Though everyone is raising concerns over paddy procurement and token system, it seems they are oblivious about the plights of cotton growers. No one is giving a thought on how cotton growers will sell their crop at the minimum support price of Rs 5,500, the legislator said.

For instance, in Sonepur district, around 60% of farmers grow paddy whereas rest of them cultivate cotton. Though the State government had announced that market yards would open on November 20, the decision is yet to be carried out. Failing to sell cotton at mandis, farmers in Soenpur are going for distress sale and handing over the agricultural produce to middlemen at a little over Rs 4,000, pointed out the legislator.

In coming days, prices of cotton will go down further due to winter season making the situation worse, he added.
Patnaik further demanded that the State government should act proactively to resolve the issues of cotton growers.