New Delhi, May 5 (IANS) The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday approved an outlay of Rs 5,659.22 crore for the Mission for Cotton Productivity (2026–27 to 2030–31) aimed at addressing bottlenecks, declining growth, and quality concerns in India’s cotton sector.
The mission aligns with the government’s 5F vision (Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign). It focuses on enhancing cotton productivity through the development of high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds resistant to disease and pests, scaling up of existing and latest crop production technologies through state governments, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, and State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) through large-scale promotion and adoption of latest crop production technologies, ensuring a least contaminant cotton supply to industry, and promoting high-quality cotton exports.
The major focus of the mission is on the development of high-yielding, climate-resilient, pest-resistant seeds and other production technologies, upscaling improved cotton production technologies like High Density Planting System (HDPS), Closer Spacing (CS), Integrated Cotton Management, and promotion of Extra Long Staple (ELS) Cotton.
It also works on augmenting the quality of cotton through capacity building and promoting modernisation of ginning and processing factories, including the adoption of best processing practices and strengthening cotton testing infrastructure across the country with modern, standardised, and accredited facilities to ensure reliable quality assessment and global benchmarking.
Robust branding and traceability initiatives under Kasturi Cotton Bharat to position Indian cotton as a premium, sustainable, and globally trusted product figure among the list of objectives for the mission.
Besides, it aims at empowering farmers through digital integration of market yards (mandis), enabling transparent price discovery, direct market access, and improved realisation through e-platforms. The mission also undertakes the promotion of cotton waste recycling and circular economy practices to enhance resource efficiency, reduce environmental footprint, and generate additional value streams for the industry.
In addition, it works for the diversification of India’s fibre base by including natural fibres like flax, ramie, sisal, milkweed, bamboo, and banana and the advancement of environmentally sustainable textile production and innovations. Its strategic integration and promotion will complement cotton and align India’s textile sector with evolving global demand patterns.
The Mission will be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the Ministry of Textiles, involving 10 institutes of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), one institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and 10 centres of All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRPs) on Cotton operating in different SAUs of major cotton-growing states.
Initially, 140 districts will be focused in 14 states through the state Departments of Agriculture and ICAR for upscaling the technologies and 2000 ginning/ processing factories. Development of high-yielding, climate-resistant, and pest-resistant seeds, deploying 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 accomplishing 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 benefit, leading to self-reliance. It also seeks promotion of Kasturi Cotton Bharat for traceability and certification, targeting trash reduction to less than 2 per cent and promotion of natural fibres like flax, ramie, sisal, milkweed, bamboo, and banana. This is a milestone in making the country self-reliant in the cotton sector, the statement added.
–IANS
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