Govt need to change its export policy regarding cotton: Pawar

20 Apr 2012 Evaluate

A change in the government’s policy of cotton may be on the horizon if the Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar’s recommendations are accepted. The Minister is known to have made a presentation to the concerned government authorities and has stated that he is hopeful of a positive outcome.

The government had recently banned the exports of cotton citing low domestic availability. However, the decision drew flak from the Agriculture Minister and the farmers. The government then revoked the ban, but only partially.

Pawar on his part has stated that there is sufficient domestic availability of the fiber. He has claimed that as per reports available with him, nearly 30% of total cotton production this year is lying around in Gujarat, Vidarbha, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra as surplus. Of this, even if 15-20% is used in the country, there is still a 10% surplus which can be exported.

He further stated that government's policy on cotton export ban gives a negative signal to other countries about India’s exporters. It gives a signal that Indian suppliers are not reliable. Furthermore in 2004-05, the country was not self-sufficient in cotton and even then there was no ban on export.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, in a meeting with Pawar earlier, objected to Cotton Corporation of India's 'complacency' in cotton procurement in Gujarat, and urged him to direct the authority to start buying cotton at minimum support price (MSP) in the state.

Recently, the cotton advisory board (CAB) pegged cotton production at 34.7 million bales for season 2011-12, against 33.9 million bales in 2010-11. As per the agriculture ministry, the number stood at 34 million bales for 2011-12. The total supply of cotton is now pegged a little higher at 39.2 million bales in 2011-12 as compared to 38.4 million bales in 2010-11.

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