Mission on Cotton Productivity expected to take off in 4-5 months

The Mission for Cotton Productivity that was announced in the Union Budget last month is expected to take off in another four-five months.

At a post-budget webinar on agriculture and rural prosperity held on Saturday, one of the discussions was on the Mission for cotton where stakeholders presented their views.

The Mission, which will be implemented at a cost of ₹2,500 crore over five years will have three mini missions.

One mini mission (Kapas Kranti) will focus on improving cotton yield and productivity for farmers. It will look at strategic interventions such as research, extension, and human resource development and it will be led by the Central Institute for Cotton Research. The second mission, which will be anchored by the Cotton Corporation of India, will look at modernising 1,000 ginning and pressing units. The third mission will focus on promoting sustainable Natural fibres such as banana, milkweed, and bamboo.

A official in the Ministry of Textiles told The Hindu that the Mission will be taken forward on a consultative mode, taking inputs from all stakeholders. The allocation for each mini mission will vary. However, the annual overall allocation will be about ₹500 crores. It will also promote production of Extra Long Staple cotton Kasturi cotton.

Globally, leading textile brands and retailers are procuring certified and traceable cotton. Cotton productivity mission will establish traceability of Indian cotton with certification.