Poor cotton prices forces farmers’ stir

With cotton prices dropping from Rs 7,000 a quintal last year to Rs 4,000 per quintal this time around, angry farmers in Bathinda gheraoed the office of the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) on Tuesday. The farmers accused private players of buying too little cotton and want the government agencies to step up and procure more of their produce.

Shingara Singh Mann, president of the Bharti Kisan Union, Bathinda, said: "It seems that the government and private agencies are hand-in-glove and we farmers are suffering. Today we protested against this delay in purchase by government agencies and they have promised to start purchase from tomorrow onwards." He alleged that the private players were offering low prices as government agencies were delaying their purchase.

Subash Bansal, director of the North India Cotton and Ginning Industries Association, however, said: "This yea,r there is no demand in the export sector. Because of a boom in the export market last year, farmers had got unexpected prices but it does not seem to be the case this time. The prices are likely to remain stable."

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