"Farmers have demanded a long-term export policy for raw cotton, which is not possible at this juncture. May be, after elections the new government could consider it," he said. The minister was responding to a question on farmers demand to allow more raw cotton exports in view of spinning mills resorting to large scale imports during the last 1987-88 and 1988-89 crop years (October-September). The government had at the beginning of the crop year allowed five lakh bales (of 170 kg) of cotton for exports.