Gujarat ginners to go on strike against export ban

Irked by the government decision to restrict new registration of cotton exports till further orders, the Saurashtra Ginners Association (SGA) has decided to go on an indefinite strike. The ginners of the Saurashtra region have already found support of the Bhartiya Kisan Sangh.

“We plan to meet the government on the issue and request it to remove the ban as it affects farmers. If the government does not lift the restriction, more than 580 ginners of the Saurashtra region will go on indefinite strike from May 10,” said Bharat Wala, president of SGA.

The amount of cotton exporting from Gujarat is huge. The ban on new registration has already led to a fall in cotton prices. "Raw cotton prices have dropped by Rs 20-30 to Rs 650-670 per 20 kg and will continue to fall more in coming days,” he added.

According to the estimates of SGA, Gujarat farmers still have 20 lakh bales of cotton. This year, cotton production in the state is likely to be around 1 crore bales, of which about 35 lakh bales have been exported from Gujarat.

SGA has alleged that the decision by government will benefit spinners of Southern India.

However, the All Gujarat Ginners Association (AGGA), the apex body of cotton ginners in the state, has no plan to go on a strike as of now. The association is currently in a wait and watch mode.