Gujarat Ministers oppose ban on raw cotton exports

03 Jun '10

2 min read

The Centre is going to impose an export duty of Rs 2,500 per ton on raw cotton exports, at a time when raw cotton from Gujarat is making waves in the international market for its superior quality.

Withdrawal of ban on raw cotton exports is a total 'eyewash and deceit', stated two state Ministers, Jay Narayan Vyas, the Health Minister and Saurabh Patel, the Minister for Energy.

The Ministers further said that, the introduction of license on the cash crop, for the first time, with exportable surplus has taken a Rs 20 billion toll on Gujarat farmers, only during the past one month.

It is estimated that the farmers of Gujarat have produced 10 million bales of raw cotton during the harvest season. With this, the contribution of Gujarat's farmers in the country's overall cotton export has increased up to around 50 percent.

Ministers claim that, while on one side, Centre asks states to improve production and productivity, on the other hand, it imposes a ban on a state while it produces increased volume of crop, thereby, dampening higher production of a particular crop. Such kinds of activities by the Centre are helping Pakistani cotton producers, added the Ministers.

They further urged the Centre to immediately lift all the bans on raw cotton exports, before the farmers of Gujarat ponder to stage a demonstration.

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