Ginners plan strike against high cotton support price

About 4,000 cotton ginners across the country may go on an indefinite strike to protest against high cotton minimum support prices for 2008-09 (October-September), Dilip Patel, president, All Gujarat Cotton Ginners Association said On Thursday.

On September 1, government had announced minimum support price of cotton for 2008-09 at Rs 2,500 a quintal for medium staple variety and Rs 3,000 for long staple variety. Both rates are about 40 per cent higher than the MSPs for the previous year.

About 1,000 ginners from Gujarat have been on a go-slow stir since November 10 to protest against higher MSPs.

Leaders of seven ginners associations from cotton growing states are slated to meet on Friday at Kadi in Gujarat to discuss a proposal to form a nation-wide ginners’ association and further course of action, he said.

On November 5, farm minister Sharad Pawar had assured ginners of raw cotton supply through Cotton Corporation of India at Rs 200 a quintal cheaper than the open market price. “Nothing has been done so far in this regard,” said Patel.