Agony of Cotton Farmers

As the death toll of cotton fields reached 1200 in Vidarbha and Marathwada regions of Maharashtra, Maharashtra govt. has reduced the support price to Rs. 1800 per 100kg, Rs. 800/- less than the price of 1998-99 !
Its inexplicable that while the Asian textile market is on boom, raw cotton prices in India have been abysmally low. Global prices of raw cotton are in the range of USD150-170 per 100kg. Prices in China are even more. Govt has de-regularised raw cotton purchase market.
Instead of selling raw cotton to govt. agency or businessman, farmers may, with some small-scale machinery, process the cotton into any one of the stages of final product and sell the semi-processed goods and sell the semi-processed cotton at some dignified price. Alternatively, with the help of small scale appropriate machinery, final products like medicated cotton etc. can be made.

I seek to utilize this forum to seek suggestions/ideas regarding making cotton farming a dignified business. Please feel free to post your suggestions.