Cotton import duty: Why India needs an agricultural policy
The proposed free trade agreement and the decision to import duty-free cotton would destroy lakhs of cotton farmers.
Updated At : 06:50 AM Sep 03, 2025 IST
Future dark: The free trade agreement will destroy farmers. Tribune photo
THE US tariff war and murmurs of free trade agreement are haunting the Indian peasantry. Prime Minister Modi has promised to guard the interests of farmers. Yet, at the same time, he has exempted cotton from import duty. Cotton is the second largest commercial crop of India after sugarcane. What would happen if the agricultural markets were to open under the pretext of free trade agreement or follow the path of importing duty-free cotton? First, let us look at the government's approach towards agriculture, food and agriculture import.
