The Cotton Development and Research Association of Southern India Mills’ Association (SIMA-CDRA) has sought support from the State and Central governments and the Cotton Corporation of India to promote cultivation of extra long staple cotton varieties among Tamil Nadu farmers.
R. Ravichandran, Chairman of SIMA-CDRA, said in a press release that Tamil Nadu produces just five lakh bales of cotton as against the requirement of 120 lakh bales a year by the textile mills in the State.
India imports nearly 10 lakh bales of extra long staple cotton and two lakh to three lakh bales of contamination-free cotton involving outflow of $ 640 million a year. Hence, there is a need to boost production of extra long staple cotton.
Further, the competitiveness of textile mills in Tamil Nadu eroded in the recent years because of steep increase in transport cost to bring cotton from the growing States. The mills here spend ₹3 to ₹6 a kg towards transportation of cotton.
“ Hence, it has become paramount importance to increase cotton production in Tamil Nadu to sustain the competitiveness of the existing industry,” he said in a press release.
A delegation from SIMA-CDRA met Minister for Handloom and Textiles R. Gandhi and senior officials and submitted a proposal to increase cotton production in Tamil Nadu from five lakh bales to 30 lakh bales a year.
The Association supplied 200 tonnes of ELS cotton seeds to the farmers in Tamil Nadu for cotton season 2019-2020 under the funding support of the State government through CCI benefiting 50,000 farmers and produced 95,000 bales of high quality ELS cotton.
The Association can supply 1,000 tonnes of ELS seeds per year that could cover two lakh hectares, benefit 3.3 lakh farmers and produce six lakh bales per year.
The Centre has already notified 40% subsidy for the kapas plucker developed by SIMA-CDRA. The State government should continue 50 % subsidy for the same, he said.
