As tariffs bite, farms, mills diverge on import duty cut

This monsoon, however, has added an additional layer of anxiety after the government decided to scrap the 11% duty on raw cotton imports until September 30

In India’s cotton belt of Vidarbha, the monsoon months of July and August are busy. Farmers across the districts of western Vidarbha in Maharashtra plant the cotton crop, readying them for harvest in the winter months of November-December. Despite persistent indebtedness and news of farmers ending their lives, this area has remained India’s unofficial cotton capital, supplying roughly 25% of India’s production of 30 million -32.5 million bales. Across the state, roughly 4.08 million hectares are under cotton production.

The Centre has announced an MSP of between ₹7,710 and ₹8,110 per quintal of cotton and touts it as among the highest raises in the floor price of a Kharif crop. (HT File)

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