Contract farming for cotton introduced in Vidarbha

Nagpur, Nov 4 (UNI) Contract farming for cotton has been initiated in Vidarbha for the first time in the region.

National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD) Chairman Dr Y S P Thorat said here today that 7,000 cultivators had entered into contracts with 25 textiles, ginning, pressing and spinning mills.

The farmers would sell their yield directly to the mills, thus minimising the role of middlemen, Dr Thorat said. Farmers, cultivating organic cotton, can hope to get a price of up to Rs 3,000 per quintal for their produce, he said.

The area covered under the contract farming was 12,000 hectares, Dr Thorat said, adding that the results had been ''very encouraging.'' UNI AB SD SP KP1733