The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Contract farming proposed to increase cotton production

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 01, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Contract farming proposed to increase cotton production

Special Correspondent

Area to go up from 1.5 lakh hectares to 2.5 lakh hectares

CHENNAI: Focus on area expansion, contract farming for high-end product, improved extension support, production of quality seeds, credit facilitation and procurement support form part of an action plan of the Tamil Nadu Agriculture Department for 2005-06 to increase cotton production.

A Cotton Farmers Interest Group (CFIG), which will be actively consulted on all cotton-related issues, and a Cotton Stakeholders Forum to discuss issues related to sustainable production and marketing and to recommend policy matters have also been proposed. The CFIG will be set up in 10 days.

At a meeting of cotton stakeholders here on Tuesday, Agriculture Commissioner Jagmohan Singh Raju said it was planned to increase the area under cotton from 1.5 lakh hectares to 2.5 lakh hectares.

Though the crop was profitable, consumed less water and enjoyed huge domestic demand and the State had conducive soil and agro-climatic conditions, production was just three per cent of the domestic demand.

Joint Director of Agriculture (crops) Chandran said the production was only 5 lakh bales as against a demand of 50 lakh bales. This trend persisted for the past 30 years.

Mr. Raju said that considering the factors behind the fall in production — rainfall fluctuation, 65 per cent of the area under rainfed cultivation, non-availability of quality seeds, high cost of cultivation and volatile price structure — the Government prepared an action plan, which would promote the crop, focussing on a cluster of villages, gainfully engaging all stakeholders, de-risking farmers and a trustworthy price mechanism.

Under contract farming, it was planned to cover 53,000 acres in 16 districts covering 30,000 farmers.

"Our main focus shall remain on quality seed production. It will certainly lead to increased production." About Rs. three crores would be spent on pest management.

Mr. Raju said the Centre declared the minimum support price (MSP) for 2004-2005 for various varieties of cotton per quintal. Farmers should not sell below the price.

The objectives of today's meeting included discussing the reasons for decline in cotton area coverage, production and productivity and evolving a strategy to increase production.

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