"SKM protests removal of duty on cotton import, demands withdrawal"
2025-08-22 11:21:20
SKM slams Centre’s scrapping of duty on cotton imports, urges immediate rollback
Hyderabad: The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) condemned the decision of the Finance Ministry to immediately abolish the 11% import duty and Agricultural Infrastructure Development Cess (AIDC) on cotton.
The notification, effective from August 19, is valid until September 30, 2025. SKM has condemned the decision, which has been justified by the government as being “in the public interest”, as a “death knell” for cotton growers already grappling with low prices and mounting debt.
SKM has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of reneging on his promises to farmers and demanded clarity on where his “top priority” lies. The union argues that the removal of import duty will flood the domestic market with cheaper cotton, driving down prices and pushing lakhs of cotton farming families into deeper financial distress. They point out that cotton-growing regions already record the highest number of farmer suicides in the country, and this move could exacerbate the crisis.
Despite repeated demands, the Modi government has never implemented the Minimum Support Price (MSP) formula of C2+50% for cotton farmers. For the 2025 Kharif season, the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) announced an MSP of Rs 7,710 per quintal—Rs 2,365 short of the Rs 10,075 rate under the C2+50% formula. SKM claims this gap reflects a systemic neglect of cotton farmers’ welfare.
India, with 120.55 lakh hectares under cotton cultivation, accounts for 36% of the global cotton area. Maharashtra leads in cotton acreage, followed by Gujarat and Telangana. Notably, 67% of India’s cotton farming is rainfed, making it highly vulnerable to market and climate shocks. In response to the notification, SKM has called on cotton farmers nationwide to organize village-level meetings, pass resolutions, and send them to the Prime Minister demanding the immediate withdrawal of the duty abolition and the declaration of MSP at Rs 10,075 per quintal. The union also reminded the government of its unfulfilled promise from the BJP’s 2014 election manifesto to ensure fair MSP for farmers.
