Coimbatore: The Union govt's Mission for Cotton Productivity is expected to be a game-changer for the textile industry in Tamil Nadu. Under the initiative, which aims to double the yield and farmers' income, and modernize ginning units, the state is likely to receive around 100 crore from the total allocation of 5,900 crore.Industry stakeholders say the initiative, if effectively implemented, could help Tamil Nadu reduce its dependence on high-cost cotton from other states and become more competitive in global markets.According to K Selvaraju, general secretary, South India Mills Association, textile mills in Tamil Nadu require about 120 lakh bales of cotton a year. "However, the state produces only around five lakh bales a year. With proper interventions, production has the potential to touch 25 lakh bales. The production should at least touch 15 lakh bales by 2030. Even if output increases to 10 lakh bales, it will only meet about 8% of the requirement."He says one of the focus areas of the mission is seed development and agronomy research. "If implemented with the support of the Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) or private seed companies, production could be enhanced significantly.
While farmers now plant 25,000 plants per hectare, adopting high-density planting technology could increase this to 60,000 plants. A pilot project was carried out in select regions over the past two years."Pointing out that cotton is cultivated on about 1.75 lakh hectares in Tamil Nadu, he says the area under cotton cultivation could go up to two lakh hectares under the mission. "Tamil Nadu is also one of the few states cultivating cotton in both winter and summer, offering scope to introduce extra-long staple cotton."Labour shortage continues to be a major hurdle in cotton farming, making mechanization critical, says Selvaraju.Another focus area of the mission is the modernization of machinery and cotton ginning - the process of separating fibre from seeds and impurities. "Ginning in Tamil Nadu is outdated. Upgradation will improve quality and efficiency," he says.J Thulasidharan, president, Indian Cotton Federation, welcomed the focus on research, pointing out that allocations were meagre over the past decade. "With soil and climate specific seed varieties, precision farming techniques, and better support for research institutions like CICR in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu could increase its yield. As productivity improves, the cost of production will come down, MSP pressure will reduce, and Indian cotton will become globally competitive."Cotton is grown in areas such as Kumbakonam, Perambalur, Manaparai, Ottanchathiram, Vasudevanallur and Kovilpatti in the state.
