By Special Correspondent
Bhopal: The Central Government’s decision to abolish import duty on cotton from the United States and other countries until December 2025 has triggered strong opposition from farmer leaders. The move comes just ahead of the cotton selling season in October, raising fears of reduced demand for domestic produce.
Former Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Arun Yadav, criticised the decision, warning that cheaper foreign cotton would severely impact Indian farmers. “When imported cotton is available at lower rates, the textile industry will naturally prefer it. As a result, farmers will struggle to find buyers or be forced to sell at distress prices,” he said.
Madhya Pradesh, ranked seventh in cotton production, is already witnessing a decline. Cotton cultivation has dropped from 6.5 lakh hectares in 2019–20 to 5.37 lakh hectares in 2024–25. Production too has fallen, with output expected to dip from 18.01 lakh bales last year to 15.35 lakh bales this year.
Yadav demanded immediate restoration of import duty, strict enforcement of Minimum Support Price with guaranteed procurement, mandatory purchase of domestic cotton by the textile industry, and a special relief package for farmers. He cautioned that without urgent policy intervention, millions of cotton growers across the country would face an unprecedented crisis.
