Cotton Export Ban: PM’S meeting with Pawar is too late to Control Damage

Cotton Export  Ban: PM’S  meeting with  Pawar is too late to Control Damage

Nagpur –April 29 , 2012

Cotton farmers advocacy group Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti VJAS  has termed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh initiative call the meeting on ill intended stringent restrictions on cotton export with Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar  on Monday to deliberate on the objections raised by over export of cotton as too alte to compensate the huge damages of nearly 7 million cotton growers who are facing severe crop failure as per Govt. cotton arrival data and expected yield this year

“The Prime Minister was aware of the problem when Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma has imposed the ban on cotton export on 4^th march 2012 and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar  termed this cotton export ban as anti farmer and strongly criticised the e Textile Ministry under the charge of Anand Sharma for the policies which are "ambivalent" describing restriction on cotton exports as "retrograde” adding that  Indian cotton farmers should not be asked to bear the burden of subsidising the textile mills but PMO failed to take action last 55 days and this "Negative Approach" of the taxtile and commerce ministry  has already caused more tha Rs.10,000 crore losses to cotton growers and traders hence we demand while lifting the ban on cotton export PM should announce compensation of these losses to the stake holders ”Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti VJAS informed in a press release today.

"Indian trade and textile minister Anand Sharma has been acting  as agent of Indian textile mills owners and supporting his stand of imposing ban on fresh cotton which is directly affecting million cotton farmers who are facing crop failure in more than 12 million hector and is damaging cotton traders exporters creditability in global market ,This is bias and political motivated decision with motive to protect the interest of handful spinning and weaving mills and garments traders hence farmers protest and hunger strike has been organized "Kishore Tiwari added. “when Indian domestic demand is just 20 million bales as against national production of 33 million bales there is no reason put restrictions when interest of domestic textile mills are fully protected .the decision to ban Indian cotton export is another example rampant corruption going on in UPA Govt. there is big names involved in the sudden export ban will expose the all misdeeds of commerce ministry hence for the first time farmers suicide issue has given focus of wrong policies of state ,we will see that the truth is prevailed” Tiwari added.

Cotton farmers main demand is that DGFT should start fresh registrations of export as India is the world’s second-largest producer and output is expected to hit a record high of 34 million bales in 2011/12 hence our PM who is man free trade and globalization should intervene to protect the interest of cotton farmers and stop protecting few corporates which are forcing traders to off load their cotton bales stock holding in cheaper rate which unfair and unjust "Tiwari said today

Earlier Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti VJAS in its plea to the Prime Minister of India has requested that India even when it was a net cotton deficit country has allowed cotton exports under Open General License (OGL), it is ironical that when India is currently a cotton surplus country, restrictive policies are in place. Currently, DGFT has put cotton export on hold which has lost creditability of Indian cotton trade in international market has severely impacted cotton economy of agrarian crisis hit Maharashtra where Govt. has already declared relief package of Rs.2000 crore hence Prime Minister of India should look in to very serious issue of 5 million dying cotton farmers of vidarbha, Tiwari added.

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