Cotton Crisis: Farmers Demand Action from Government
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha urged Prime Minister Modi to retract a notification abolishing the cotton import duty, reinstating a 50% tariff to protect farmers facing plummeting prices and debt. They also demanded enhanced farmer suicide compensation, a revised MSP for cotton, and a loan waiver for farmers.
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- India
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has penned an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding the immediate withdrawal of a recent notification that eliminates the 11% import duty on cotton. This move, SKM argues, has exacerbated the financial strain on Indian cotton farmers.
The umbrella body of farmer unions has called for the reinstatement of up to a 50% import tariff to safeguard domestic cotton prices, which have been falling steadily. It further detailed the grim reality of farmer suicides, with Maharashtra's Vidarbha region witnessing 767 cases in the first three months of 2025 alone.
The SKM's demands go beyond tariffs; they seek a restructuring of the Cotton Corporation of India, an increase in the minimum support price for cotton to Rs 10,075 per quintal, and enhanced compensation measures for families of farmer suicide victims, valuing at Rs 25 lakh per family.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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