Nuapada: Bowing down before the long standing demand of cotton farmers, the government finally opened the first cotton procurement centre of the district here Friday.
While the mandi was opened on the premises of Khariar Road regulated market committee, on the first day the sales, price of cotton created a record in the state.
The minimum support price (MSP) of cotton was fixed by the government at Rs 4,320 per quintal but the produce fetched the farmers Rs 5,021 per quintal due to its superior quality. The farmers were excited to get such a good price, a report said.
Earlier in the day, the procurement centre was inaugurated by collector Poma Tudu. The inaugural programme was presided over by Umesh Chandra Das, deputy director of district agriculture department. Narayan Upadhyay, an expert on the product, and additional agriculture officer, Alekh Kumar Deep, were also present on the occasion.
Meanwhile, nine licensed cotton traders of Bolangir along with another buyer from Cotton Corporation of India took part in the procurement process. As the demand of the cotton produced in Nuapada is high, the produce was auctioned at the procurement centre. KL Baghel of CCI gave the first call at Rs 4,320 which was the MSP fixed by the state government. However, there was a competition between the traders and the price was finally fixed at Rs 5,021, much to the pleasure of the farmers.
On the first day, three farmers of Komna block came with 70 quintals of cotton.
“I have never sold cotton at such high price in my life,” said farmer Jitendra Biswal.
The collector has offered them a gift by opening the mandi and their long-standing demand has been fulfilled, said another farmer Dilip Sahoo said.
On the other hand, the traders said the quality of cotton is so good that they would incur no loss with what they paid to the farmers.
“It can really be called white gold,” said another trader.
The traders also agreed to pay Rs 80 per quintal extra as transportation cost to the farmers.
This is the only cotton procurement centre of the district which would remain opened on every Friday, the officials said. PNN
