Gujarat remains top in India’s cotton production and exports

The state’s cotton output reached 87.95 lakh bales in 2022-23, which increased to 90.57 lakh bales in 2023-24.

Gujarat maintained its position as the leading cotton producer in the country for two consecutive years. The state’s cotton output reached 87.95 lakh bales in 2022-23, which increased to 90.57 lakh bales in 2023-24. In contrast, the national cotton production saw a decline in 2023-24 compared to the previous year. The total production was 336.60 lakh bales in 2022-23, which dropped to 325.22 lakh bales in 2023-24.

In the Rajya Sabha, Pabitra Margherita, Union Minister of State for Textiles, while responding to queries from MP Parimal Nathwani, stated that Gujarat contributed about 30 per cent of India’s total cotton textile exports in 2023-24. The minister further revealed that India’s cotton textile exports amounted to $11,085 million in 2022-23 and $12,258 million in 2023-24, with Gujarat’s exports valued at $2,835 million and $3,615 million, respectively.

Nathwani had asked for details about the national cotton production and exports, as well as information about government initiatives to boost exports and measures to advance cotton production research. In response, the Union Ministry of Textiles outlined various export promotion schemes, including rebates on state and central taxes for apparel exports. Products not covered under this scheme benefit from the Remissions of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products. Additionally, India’s 14 Free Trade Agreements (FTA) and six Preferential Trade Agreements (PTA) provide easier access to international markets.

The ministry also highlighted the development of Kasturi Cotton Bharat, a premium Indian cotton brand available in 29 mm and 30 mm long-staple varieties. Over the past decade, the ICAR-Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur, had introduced 333 cotton varieties, comprising 191 non-Bt and 142 Bt varieties.