3 months ago
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Expressing interest implicit the declining home fabric accumulation and rising imports, G. Kumar Naik, Lok Sabha Member from Raichur, has urged the Union Government to follow a unchangeable and farmer-centric fabric argumentation to support growers successful Karnataka and crossed India.
Cotton imports into India accrued by 39% successful measurement betwixt 2020-21 and 2024-25 portion home accumulation declined sharply from 370 lakh bales successful 2017-18 to 297.24 lakh bales successful 2024-25, according to the information furnished by the Ministry of Textiles, the MP stated. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL
On February 11, Mr. Naik said the information furnished by the Ministry of Textiles, successful effect to his starred question successful the Lok Sabha revealed a worrying trend. Cotton imports into India accrued by 39% successful measurement betwixt 2020-21 and 2024-25 portion home accumulation declined sharply from 370 lakh bales successful 2017-18 to 297.24 lakh bales successful 2024-25.
He said the simultaneous autumn successful accumulation and productivity indicated ‘structural stress’ successful the sector, and warned that argumentation inconsistency was undermining home farmers.
Mr. Naik pointed retired that fabric prices crashed successful 2025 aft the authorities removed import work connected fabric astatine a clip erstwhile the state was facing planetary tariff pressure. He noted that fabric exports from the United States to India surged by implicit 200% betwixt 2023-24 and 2024-25 portion imports from Brazil roseate by much than 1,000% during the aforesaid period.
“India remains the world’s second-largest fabric shaper aft China, with Brazil adjacent behind. Yet, we are progressively depending connected imports portion our ain farmers conflict with falling prices and rising input costs,” helium said.
He cautioned that if the existent trajectory continues, India risks becoming heavy babelike connected fabric imports, which could weaken home producers and compromise semipermanent cultivation security.
Highlighting Karnataka’s performance, Mr. Naik said the State recorded the highest fabric output successful the confederate zone, supra the nationalist average. Raichur, Kalaburagi and Yadgir districts successful the Kalyana Karnataka portion had important imaginable for expansion, provided sustained organization enactment and concern were ensured.
Referring to the Cotton Mission for Farmers, for which ₹500 crore was allocated successful the 2025-26 Union Budget, Mr. Naik said the inaugural did not find notation successful the existent year’s allocations. This, helium said, raised concerns that the programme remained mostly connected insubstantial without meaningful field-level implementation.
“India cannot assertion planetary enactment successful fabric accumulation portion allowing its ain farmers to carnivore the load of inconsistent commercialized and cultivation policy,” helium said, calling for a broad and unchangeable fabric strategy that safeguards home growers and strengthens semipermanent self-reliance.
Cotton is simply a large harvest successful Raichur and respective adjoining districts of northbound Karnataka. Thousands of farmers beryllium connected the harvest for their livelihood..
