Chandigarh, November 1, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president and MLA Sardar Pargat Singh on Sunday criticised the Central Government’s decision to extend the exemption from the 11 per cent import duty on cotton until December 31, 2026, alleging that the move would hurt domestic farmers during the harvesting season.
He said Punjab’s cotton growers were bringing their produce to mandis after months of hard work, but the Centre’s decision would make imported cotton, including supplies from the United States, more competitive and increase pressure on prices received by Indian farmers.
Pargat Singh accused the Narendra Modi government of going back on its promise to double farmers’ income, arguing that its policies were favouring foreign cotton producers over domestic growers. He questioned why the import duty exemption, initially introduced in the name of the off-season, had been extended into the domestic harvesting period.
Highlighting the challenges faced by cotton growers, he referred to inadequate rainfall, pest attacks and declining production. He also claimed that cotton imports had risen 63 per cent during the first half of the current financial year to approximately USD 1.1 billion.
Referring to the import duty exemption granted in September 2025, the Congress leader said cotton in Punjab’s mandis had then fetched between Rs 5,600 and Rs 5,800 per quintal, against an MSP of Rs 7,710 per quintal.
He also questioned the Centre’s approach to crop diversification, saying farmers were being encouraged to move away from paddy cultivation towards crops such as cotton, while policy decisions were undermining the returns from those alternatives.
Raising concerns over the proposed India-US trade agreement, Pargat Singh warned that any reduction in agricultural tariffs could expose Indian farmers to greater competition from foreign producers.
He demanded that the Centre withdraw its October 30 notification and restore the 11 per cent import duty on cotton.
He also urged the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) to ensure assured MSP-based procurement across all cotton mandis in Punjab, seeking rates of Rs 8,267 per quintal for medium-staple cotton and Rs 8,667 per quintal for long-staple cotton.
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