Tamil Nadu: Indian textile mills face hardships due to cotton shortage in market

Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 5 : Indian textile mills face hardships as international buyers are not placing orders due to cotton shortage in the market.
Ravi Sam, Chairman of the Southern India Mills Association, said, "The duties on the import of cotton should be removed immediately as it is badly affecting the textile industry in India."
He said, "We have taken it very strongly with the Finance Minister to remove the import duty from cotton."
Sam further added the fear the country's farmers will be affected is not true.
He stated, "If the import duty is removed today itself, the import of cotton will start in the month of May and by then, the Indian farmers would have sold off their cotton and made a considerable amount of money and will be ready for sowing for the next season."
He further added, "The international traders are propagating that the removal of import duty will affect farmers badly but in fact, the textile industry will be doomed if the duty is not removed."
"The import should be allowed to the end-user only and not the international traders who try and hold them creating a further crisis for the Industry," Sam stated.