Millers, ginners concerned over raw material shortage in coming days

A press gin owner from Maharashtra’s Beed district said some farmers are yet to dispose of their stock in hope of better prices. “The 2022-23 season had started with kapas (raw seed cotton) commanding prices of around 8,500 per quintal. However, since then there has been sharp correction in prices which led to many farmers halting their sales. Farmers who are holding on to their stock, are hoping for another price rise in the new season,” he pointed out.

At present the price of kapas in Jalgaon and other places in North Maharashtra is around Rs 7,100-7,500 per quintal. Asked about the condition of the crop, Pradeep Kumar Jain, founding president of the Khandesh Cotton Gin/ Press Owners and Traders Association, said the recent bout of rains has ensured that the crop is in good condition in many places. “The best news is that there are no reports of heavy pest infestation from any part of the country,”he said.

If lack of kapas has put a question mark on operations, dal millers have also complained of a similar condition. Nitin Kalantari, a dal miller and trader operating out of the Latur district, said that availability of pulses like tur has become a concern. “The arrival of the African tur will ease the situation a bit,” he said. Chana, which was trading well below its minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 5,230/ quintal has crossed the Rs 6,000/ quintal mark. Chana prices corrected, as a possible output drop was expected in tur and other kharif crops.

National Cooperative Agricultural Marketing Federation (NAFED) is the biggest stockist of chana with around 27 lakh tonne of the procured chana with them. “Most traders and millers are procuring from NAFED,” said a trader from Akola.