RAYAGADA: Cotton cultivation in Gunupur agricultural district, where a major portion of cotton is produced, is poised for a leap during 2009-10 kharif. This time the area under cultivation is expected to see a 30 per cent rise, experts said. Last year cotton was cultivated in 23,000 hectare producing 1,25,000 quintal. The area will increase because of a 30 per cent increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of cotton in 2008-09. Against the MSP of Rs 2,070 per quintal during 2007-08, the MSP was increased to Rs 3,000 last year. In fact, un-remunerative MSP had discouraged many farmers from cultivating cotton during 2008-09. In 2007-08 cotton was cultivated in 27,000 hectare producing 1,40,000 quintals. However, the area under cultivation fell to 23,000 hectare during 2008-09. Experts, however, said marketing still poses a problem. While market yards and sale points are there in Gunupur, Ramanguda and Padampur blocks, there is no purchasing centre of Cotton Corporation of India, which purchases the produce, at Bissam-Cuttack and Muniguda blocks. The Technology Mission on Cotton opened a market yard at Muniguda last year with an estimated cost of Rs 1.5 crore in collaboration with the Regulated Market Committee (RMC), Gunupur. It has all the parameters like security, godown with fire-fighting equipment, weighing scales and auction hall that CCI requires to open a purchase centre. Despite this, farmers are not getting right price for their produce. Secretary of Gunupur RMC Goura Charan Patnaik has appealed to the farmers to bring the cotton to market yard so that the RMC can take the responsibility for its safe storage and ensure its sale and payment of fair price.