Ginners in Adilabad town have found a ‘gold mine’ in processing cotton for the Cotton Corporation of India as the latter was procuring the produce at a net fibre realisation of 31% per quintal.
The cotton sold by farmers which was of high quality was yielding a fibre of over and above 31 kg per quintal. The excess realised cotton was allegedly unscrupulously pilfered by ginners in connivance with some CCI officials. At least 1.5 kg to 2 kg of excess cotton per quintal was being pilfered.
This unjust enrichment of ginners was unequally putting CCI in a disadvantaged position. According to an estimate, every season CCI was losing on an average ₹5 core to ₹10 crore, said an official.
The corporation procured cotton from farmers for Minimum Support Price and further handed out to ginners of which 69% was segregated as cotton seed and waste. The cotton lint is further compressed into bales.
CCI Assistant General Manager K Maheshwara Reddy said that some consignments yield higher fibre while others fall short of the required stranded . “On balance we are maintaining 31 kg per quintal,” he said.
Mr. Reddy however said that there is a possibility of excess fibre accruing to ginners accounts. “We will examine the matter and set right the anomaly,” he added.
Sources in the corporation said that in April a few ginners had lifted several tons of cotton seed without paying money. “The amount was paid a few months later causing loss to the CCI,” he said.
