The Union Government has announced the formation of the Cotton Council of India under the Chairmanship of renowned veteran cotton man Suresh Bhai Kotak.
It will have representation from Textiles, Agriculture, Commerce, and Finance Ministries along with Cotton Corporation of India and Cotton Research Institute.
The first meeting of the proposed council has been scheduled for 28th of this month.
Role of Cotton Council of India
The council will discuss, deliberate, and prepare a robust action plan for bringing out a tangible improvement in this field.
The cotton productivity is the biggest challenge in the country, resulting in less cotton production despite the largest area under cotton cultivation.
There is need for making available better quality seeds to improve the productivity of cotton farmers.
Cotton Corporation of India
The Cotton Corporation of India Limited or CCI is a Government of India agency, engaged in diverse activities related to trade, procurement, and export of cotton.
CCI is a public sector agency responsible for equitable distribution of cotton among the different constituents of the industry and aid imports of cotton. It was incorporated on 31 July 1970 under the Companies Act 1956.
CCI is governed by Textile Policy 1985 issued by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.
Top 3 cotton producing countries in the world
- India
- China
- USA
India is one of the largest producer of cotton in the world accounting for about 24% of the world cotton production. The yield per kgs hectare which is presently 469 kgs/ha is still lower against the world average yield of about 808 Kgs kgs /ha.
Cotton was first grown in ancient India dating all the way back to 5500 BC which is modern-day Baluchistan. Old civilizations like the Indus valley civilization have grown and used cotton and fragments of this textile have been found at these sites. From then on India has had a monopoly on cotton for 3000 years.
Largest Cotton Producing state in India
The leading producer of cotton in India is Gujarat. This state produces 125 lakh bales of cotton annually and covers nearly 26.59 hectares of land.