Mumbai
Nana Patole, the Maharashtra Congress president, on Sunday has called on the central government to ban cotton imports, arguing that they harm local farmers. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Patole highlighted that Maharashtra is the second-largest cotton producer in India, with over 4 million farmers involved in its cultivation.
He noted that despite high production, reports of 2.2 million bales of cotton being imported have raised fears of falling domestic prices. The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) reportedly has 1.1 million unsold bales in stock, exacerbating the issue.
Patole has demanded that the government purchase cotton at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 7,122 per quintal, as current market prices hover between Rs 6,500 and Rs 6,600. This pricing pressure has discouraged farmers from selling their cotton.
He warned that continuing to import cotton while maintaining large domestic stocks could destabilize the market and primarily benefit traders rather than farmers.
Maharashtra’s cotton growers are already struggling with low prices, the impact of 12-18% GST on agricultural equipment, and damage from unseasonal rains, which affected cotton production over 1.9 million hectares this year. Patole criticized the central government’s compensation plans as inadequate and claimed that the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana mainly benefits insurance companies rather than farmers.
With the Maharashtra assembly elections approaching on Nov 20, this appeal underscores the urgent need to support local agriculture.
