Maharashtra cotton farmers support demand for cotton exports
Cotton farmers of Maharashtra are supporting the demand of The Cotton Association of India (CAI) made to the Centre to grant exports of cotton without any restrictions on quantity - as relaxation of upper limit by 15 lakh cotton bales has not worked.
MAHARASHTRA FARMERS have strongly supported the plea of The Cotton Association of India (CAI) to the Centre to allow exports of cotton without any quantitative restrictions as relaxation of upper cap from 55 lakhs to additionally 15 lakhs cotton bales has failed to give any relief to the 5 million dying cotton farmers as the region itself has got more than 20 lakh cotton bales in addition to more than 40 lakhs bales surplus in other part of India as India has produced more than 330 lakhs cotton bales as against domestic requirement of 220 lakhs bales. But crisis started when textile ministry put a cap of 55 lakhs cotton bales against the last year export of 84 lakhs cotton bales."This is first time the farmers and trade are fighting against quantitative restrictions as it was free import after lifting import restrictions in 2004 by then NDA government at the centre which allowed record 200 lakhs bales at much cheaper price than domestic market inviting thousands of farm suicides and now imposition of export restrictions are killing the cotton farmers hence we need economical protection to distress cotton farmers as given by USA,” Tiwari added.
In a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, CAI President Dhiren Sheth has sought immediate steps to make exports of cotton free under OGL (open general licence) without any quantitative restrictions. Cotton exports have not been permitted since the end of February, which has resulted in almost 30 per cent crash in prices, it is further In spite of this, it is ironical that prices in India remain around 15 to 20 per cent cheaper than that of the world and farmers have been deprived of realizing the international value for their cotton whilst they have been witnessing an erosion in the value of their produce day by day since the last couple of months, CAI said.
"Maharashtra farmers are agitating since October 2010 for lifting of export ban on cotton. Now, same demand is being echoed nationally but strong textile lobby is not allowing the rightful much needed decision is taken and they till lobbying hard to avoid official permission the additional export of cotton bales is granted and silent of PMO is much more irritating hence we have knocked the ddor of UPA convener Smt?Sonia Gandhi but nothing has resulted as on today,” Tiwari added.
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