Aim for 1000 kg/ha cotton productivity: CAI chief

The cotton sector in India has clocked an envious growth and it has carved a niche for itself in the international market. India has the largest acreage under cotton, which is about 1/3rd of the world’s total cotton acreage. The country is the largest producer, 2nd largest exporter next only to USA and the second largest consumer of cotton next only to China, in the world, said Nayan C Mirani, President of the Cotton Association of India (CAI) at the 95th Annual General Meeting of CAI held in Mumbai recently.

Mirani cautioned: “However, productivity of cotton in India is amongst the lowest. As against the world average productivity of over 700 kilograms per hectare, the productivity of cotton in India is still hovering around 500 kg per ha. Unfortunately, the yield is stagnating for the last several years. It is in this context that it is now critical for India to exploit the enormous potential it has to clock further growth in productivity to achieve at least a productivity level of 1000 kg per ha. This is the only way our country can achieve the target of doubling the farmers’ income by 2022.”

Said CAI chief: “Our scientists are in the process of developing technologies including development of Desi varieties best suited to the Indian soils and we hope that they succeed in their endeavour sooner than later. These technologies will provide impetus to the Government initiatives like Pradhan Mantri Gram Sinchai Yojana, Per Drop More Crop, Soil Health Card scheme to educate farmers about nutrients and fertilizers required for the individual farms to improve productivity through judicious use of inputs and host of other schemes launched by the Government for the betterment of cotton sector particularly farmer.”

During the year, the Government has taken two major policy initiatives – one to demonetise high value old currency notes in order to eliminate black money and the growing menace of fake Indian currency notes, thereby creating opportunities for improvement in economic growth and the other to introduce GST, which is considered to be the single largest tax reform in independent India.