India, May 5 -- The Government of India has issued a release:

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved Rs.5659.22 crore for Mission for Cotton Productivity (2026-27 to 2030-31) to address bottlenecks, declining growth, and quality concerns in India's cotton sector.

The mission aligns with the 5F vision (Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign) of Government of India. The Mission focuses on enhancing cotton productivity through development of High yielding variety (HYV) seeds resistant to disease and pests, scaling up of existing and latest crop production technologies through states governments, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, and State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) through large-scale promotion and adoption of latest crop production technologies, ensures least contaminant cotton supply to industry, and promote high-quality cotton exports with focus on the following major aspects:

The Mission will be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Ministry of Textiles, involving 10 institutes of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), one institute of Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and 10 centres of All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRPs) on Cotton operating in different State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) of major cotton growing states. Initially, 140 districts will be focussed in 14 States through State Department of Agriculture and ICAR for upscaling the technologies and 2000 ginning/ processing factories. Development of high-yielding climate resistant and pest-resistant seeds, deploy modern farming technologies, farmer training, quality improvement, traceability, and strengthening infrastructure by promoting sustainable fibres and innovation across the cotton value chain.

The Mission envisages to accomplish the production of 498 lakh bales (170 kg lint each) of cotton by enhancing lint productivity from 440 kg/ha to 755 kg/ha by 2031. Approximately 32 lakh farmers will be benefitted leading to self-reliance. Promotion of Kasturi Cotton Bharat for traceability and certification, targeting trash reduction <2% and promotion of natural fibres like flax, ramie, sisal, milkweed, bamboo and banana. This is a milestone in making the country self-reliant in Cotton Sector.

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.