Rayagada: With cotton farming proving to be more profitable than paddy, its cultivation has steadily increased in Rayagada district. This trend is evident in both Rayagada and Gunupur sub-divisions. Currently, cotton is being cultivated on 49,810 hectares of land with a target to collect 7,20,000 quintals of the fibre this year. However, farmers have reported significant difficulties in selling off the harvested cotton due to limited market facilities in the district which has only two operational mandis operated by the Regulated Market Committee (RMC) in Rayagada and Gunupur for cotton. While government records claim there are six cotton mandis in the district, including Chatikana in Bissamcuttack block, Lekapai in Kolnara block, Budaguda in Kalyansinghpur block and another in Ramanaguda block, cotton procurement takes place only in Rayagada and Gunupur. This forces farmers to travel long distances to sell their produce, creating opportunities for middlemen and traders from neighbouring states like Andhra Pradesh. These intermediaries often purchase cotton directly from farmers at lower prices, exploiting the situation and forcing farmers to resort to distress sale.
Compounding the issue, recent rains caused by Cyclone Fengal and pest infestations have added to cotton farmers’ woes this year. Waterlogging during the harvest season has further impacted crops. According to details available from the Agriculture Department, cotton was cultivated on 45,084 hectares in 2021–22 yielding 90,387 quintals. In 2022–23, 45,967 hectares yielded 97,625 quintals, and in 2023–24, 49,097 hectares yielded 1,03,803 quintals. Cotton acreage has seen a steady increase over recent years, but the operational challenges in selling the produce have cast a shadow over the sector’s growth. Cotton harvest has started in phases in the last two weeks.
However, the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), which has received approval to procure cotton, is yet to start procurement of the crop. At a recent Cotton Procurement Committee meeting, it was decided that procurement markets would start November 26 in Gunupur sub-division and December 10 in Rayagada sub-division. However, hundreds of farmers in Gunupur sub-division report that cotton purchases are yet to begin. This has led to harvested cotton lying unused in their fields. Farmers have urged authorities to expand the number of operational markets to alleviate their hardships and ensure fair prices for their produce. The delay has posed a significant issue for CCI due to the lack of storage facilities.
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Despite years of cotton collection from Rayagada district, neither CCI nor the RMC has established dedicated warehouses. As a result, CCI depends annually on private cotton mills for storage. Some mill owners exploit this situation for personal gain as admitted by CCI officials during the November 16 committee meeting. Rayagada MLA Kadraka Appala Swamy expressed dissatisfaction over the situation during the same meeting. When contacted, District Agriculture Officer Bishnu Prasad Kar stated that there was no complaint of cotton crop damage from the ongoing unseasonal rains.
Meanwhile, mandis operated by the RMCs in Rayagada and Gunupur have been set up for cotton sales, and temporary markets will be arranged by the RMC if needed, according to Cotton Scheme Officer Rahul Kumar Nayak. While the market in Gunupur has opened from November 26, the Rayagada market would commence operations December 10, Nayak added.
