Farmers need to increase cotton production, says Sharad Pawar

Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar today said farmers need to increase the production of cotton to get the right price for their produce in foreign markets.

"This year, due to good rains, the production of cotton has increased. Farmers need to further increase the capacity of cotton production in the country if they want to get the right price for their produce," he said.

He was speaking at the silver jubilee programme of Maharashtra State Co-operative Cotton Growers' Marketing Federation in Mumbai.

On the demand of farmers to restrict cotton imports, Pawar said, "one-way trade is unrealistic. We cannot close doors for other countries if we want to increase our exports. We will have to open our doors if we want them to do it for us," he said.

Government is ready to provide all the necessary support to the farmers for increasing the production, he said.