In a letter to Prime Minister Narender Modi, Nana Patole, President, Maharashtra Congress, urged him to halt imports of cotton bales in the state, and instruct Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) to increase cotton procurement at the minimum support price (MSP), to support farmers and stabilise market prices.
The central government needs to intervene urgently to assist cotton farmers in Maharashtra, emphasizes Patole. Currently, cotton is being sold below its Rs 7,122 per quintal MSP at a price of around Rs6,500-6,600 per quintal. This is causing many farmers to hold onto their stock, he adds. The CCI also has unsold stock of 1.1 million in reserve.
In such conditions, importing cotton could not only disrupt the domestic market but also harm farmers, warns Patole. Cotton farmers are already struggling with low prices, a 12-18 per ent GST on agricultural equipment, and damage to crops from unseasonal rains affecting 1.9 million hectares this year, he notes.
The central government’s announced compensation remains unimplemented, according to Patole, who criticised the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana for favoring insurers over farmers.
Second-largest cotton producer in India, Maharashtra has over four million farmers involved in cotton cultivation. Despite its significant cotton output, the state is anticipated to have imported 2.2 million bales, raising fears offurther price drops.
