Nashik: The state government has procured 40.26 lakh quintal of cotton
from 1.37 lakh farmers in the five districts of Nashik division under the
Minimum Support Price (MSP).
Of which, 8.84 lakh quintal of cotton were procured after the lockdown from
33,000 farmers, said an official from the office of joint registrar of cooperatives, Nashik division. The cotton was procured at the rate of Rs 5,500
per quintal.
Cotton is one of the major cash crops in the Nashik division, which includes
Nashik, Ahmednagar, Jalgaon, Dhule and Nandurbar.
The state government had procured 66,000 quintal of cotton in Nashik
district. Around 25.55 lakh quintal of cotton were procured from Jalgaon
district, followed by 5.09 lakh quintal from Ahmednagar district, 4.50 lakh
quintals from farmers in Dhule and 4.44 lakh quintal of cotton in
Nandurbar district.
The total area under cotton crop in Nashik division is around 9.65 lakh
hectares. An average area under cotton in North Maharashtra is 8.5 lakh
hectare.
Source: The Times Of India, India Thursday, 30 July 2020