Cabinet Approves Mission For Cotton Productivity

The mission will support the development of high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds that are climate resilient and pest resistant, and will promote wide adoption of improved crop production technologies such as High Density Planting System and Closer Spacing. It also seeks to advance integrated cotton management, encourage Extra Long Staple cotton and modernise ginning and processing to reduce contamination and improve fibre quality for export markets.

Implementation will be led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the Ministry of Textiles, with participation from 10 institutes of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, one CSIR institute and 10 centres of the All India Coordinated Research Project on Cotton in State Agricultural Universities. Initial operations will focus on 140 districts across 14 States and include support for 2000 ginning and processing factories, together with capacity building through Krishi Vigyan Kendras and state departments.

The mission targets production of 49.8 million (mn) bales of cotton, each bale measured at 170 kilogram (kg) lint, by enhancing lint productivity from 440 kg/ha to 755 kg/ha by 2031. Approximately three point two million (mn) farmers are expected to benefit, and the programme will promote traceability under Kasturi Cotton Bharat, aim for trash reduction to less than two per cent and encourage diversification into natural fibres and circular economy practices.