In perspective of the territory under cotton expanding two-overlay this year, the Telangana state government has asked the Center to open 150 business centres of Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) to enable farmers sell their produce. It has additionally looked for unwinding in CCI buying standards as cotton gets stained to some degree because of substantial rains in October and November.

In his meeting with Union textiles minister Smriti Irani, Telangana minister for irrigation and marketing T Harish Rao suggested that the CCI cotton collection centres should be open on all six working days during the season with full-fledged staff. He said that for easy transactions and online payment of sale proceeds to the farmers, the CCI could use the payment gateway of e-NAM. This will likewise counteract delay in installments to producers.

Rao looked for supply of hand machines to ranchers on endowment premise, as it would enable them to pick cotton while keeping away from tainting and furthermore address the issue of work lack. He likewise looked for supply of packs to pick the cotton. On quality and technical issues, Rao suggested that the assaying service of National Collateral Management Services Limited (NCML), with which Telangana government had a tie up for assaying services in eight Agriculture Marketing Committees, could be examined. He said the fees for such assaying services can be met by the CCI under minimum support price (MSP) operations.

Further, he sought establishment of Quality testing laboratories at four places—Adilabad, Warangal, Siddipet and Shamshabad (Hyderabad)—in the state. This will help in quality testing of cotton bales and facilitate exports, he added.

– Apparel and Textile News, Apparel Talk, Indian Apparel