Ban cotton import, buy crop at MSP, Patole urges Modi

In a letter to Modi, Patole said that cotton farmers in state, primarily in Vidarbha and parts of central Maharashtra, are in urgent need of the union government’s intervention

Mumbai: Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole has urged prime minister Narendra Modi to ban the import of cotton bales and direct the Cotton Corporation of India to aggressively procure cotton at minimum support price to provide immediate relief to farmers and stabilise prices.

Ban cotton import, buy crop at MSP, Patole urges Modi

In a letter to Modi, Patole said that cotton farmers in state, primarily in Vidarbha and parts of central Maharashtra, are in urgent need of the union government’s intervention. The current price of cotton is around ₹6,500-6,600 per quintal, which is below the minimum support price of ₹7,122 per quintal. Many farmers thus are holding on to their produce due to the low price and the CCI also has 11 lakh million unsold bales in stock.

Importing cotton in such circumstances would collapse the cotton market, significantly impacting farmers while benefiting only traders, Patole said int he letter. Cotton farmers in the state are already facing difficulties due to low prices, a 12-18% GST on agricultural equipment, and unseasonal rains which have damaged the crop across 19 lakh hectares this year.

The compensation announced by the central government remains only on paper, Patole said, slamming the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and saying it benefits insurance companies rather than farmers.

Maharashtra ranks second in the country for cotton production, with over 40 lakh farmers engaged in cotton farming. Despite the state producing an ample cotton yield, reports of importing 22 lakh bales of cotton have raised concerns about a potential sharp decline in domestic cotton prices. With elections due, Congress hopes that the Centre will take some action on Patole’s letter.