(a) whether support price of cotton have been declared;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether cotton procurement is not yet made in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh
etc. till date despite its support price being declared;
(d) if so, the reasons therefor; and
(e) the time by which cotton procurement is likely to be made?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE (SHRI HUKUMDEO NARAYAN YADAV)
(a) & (b): Yes Sir. The Government has fixed the Minimum Support Prices (MSP)
for basic varieties such as F-414 / H-777 / J-34 at Rs.1675/- per quintal and for H-4
variety at Rs.1875 per quintal for 2001-2002 cotton season. The MSPs for other
varieties are fixed by the Ministry of Textiles on the basis of market price differentials of
the basic varieties.
(c) to (e): Under the Price Support Scheme (PSS), the Cotton Corporation of India
(CCI), a central nodal agency, has commenced price support operation of raw cotton
and has procured a total quantity of 26300 bales of 170 kgs. each of raw cotton as on
26.11.2001 during 2001-2002 season in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya
Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The share of Madhya Pradesh is 5,785
bales. Procurement is continuing.
As regards Maharashtra, procurement has been started by the Maharashtra
State Cotton Growers Marketing Federation under the Monopoly Procurement Scheme
w.e.f. 7.11.2001 and has procured kapas equivalent to 5.36 lakh bales of 170 kg. each
of lint cotton as on 30.11.2001 as compared to 5.30 lakh bales procured during the
corresponding period of last year.