Union Cabinet Approves Cotton Productivity Mission to Strengthen Cotton Value Chain

The Union Cabinet approves the Cotton Productivity Mission to strengthen India’s cotton value chain. The mission is for improving farmer income, cotton productivity, and quality cotton supply for the textile sector.

Cotton Productivity Mission:

Dimension	Key Details
Aim	The mission provides for higher farmer income, steady supply of quality cotton, and revitalisation of India’s traditional textile sector.
Challenges Addressed	The mission addresses low productivity, pink bollworm resistance, climate risks, soil degradation, weak crop management practices, limited quality inputs, and regional disparities.
Type	The Cotton Productivity Mission is a Central Sector Mission.
Nodal Ministry	The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is the nodal ministry for the mission.
Institutional Collaboration	The mission is implemented in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the Department of Agricultural Research and Education.
Implementing Agencies	The Indian Council of Agricultural Research and State Governments implement the mission.
States Covered	The mission covers 14 cotton-producing states including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Punjab.
Area and Beneficiaries	The mission covers nearly 24 lakh hectares across 140 districts and benefits 32 lakh farmers.
R&D Component	The mission provides for development of 24 high-yielding and climate-resilient cotton varieties and hybrids.
Varietal Focus	The mission focuses on pink bollworm resistance, higher ginning percentage, superior fibre quality, genome editing, and region-specific cotton varieties.
Extension Component	The mission provides for demonstration-based promotion of high-density planting, narrow-spacing planting, extra-long staple varieties, and integrated crop management practices.
Productivity Target	The mission targets cotton productivity increase from 440 kg lint per hectare to 755 kg lint per hectare by 2031.
Production Target	The mission targets cotton production increase from 297 lakh bales to 498 lakh bales by 2031.
SCO Linkage	The mission is linked with an SCO agreement on agricultural trade and plant quarantine for safe trade, pest-free agricultural exchange, and regional food security.
5F Vision	The textile sector’s 5F vision comprises Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign.
India’s Position	India is the 2nd largest producer of cotton after China and accounts for 21% of world output.
Largest Producing State	Gujarat is the largest cotton-producing state in India.
Pink Bollworm	Pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella, is a destructive insect pest that targets cotton crops.
Cotton Crop Facts	Cotton belongs to the genus Gossypium, is a fibre crop, grows in the Kharif season, prefers black soil, and occurs in tropical and sub-tropical regions.