Context: Union Minister of Textiles and Women & Child Development launched the 1st ever Brand and Logo for Indian Cotton on 2nd World Cotton Day on 7th October, 2020.

Kasturi Cotton

• It is the first-ever Brand and Logo for Indian Cotton on Second World Cotton Day.
• The Kasturi Cotton brand will represent Whiteness, Brightness, Softness, Purity, Luster, Uniqueness and Indianness.

Do you know?

• Cotton is one of the principal commercial crops of India and it provides livelihood to about 6.00 million cotton farmers.
• India is the 2nd largest cotton producer and the largest consumer of cotton in the world.
• India produces about 6.00 Million tons of cotton every year which is about 23% of the world cotton.
• India produces about 51% of the total organic cotton production of the world, which demonstrates India’s effort towards sustainability.

Government’s efforts towards cotton trade

• To ensure sustainability, integrity and end-to-end traceability of the organic products, a certification system based on comparable international standards.
• Ministry of Textiles through APEDA under Ministry of Commerce and Industry has prescribed a certification system for organic Cotton which will be introduced in phases in the entire textile value chain.
• Similarly, prescribing a certification system for non-organic Cotton has also been taken up with APEDA.
• The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) made ever highest Minimum Support Price (MSP) operation of cotton.
• CCI has opened 430 procurement centres in all cotton growing states and payments are being made digitally to farmers’ account within 72 hours.
• A mobile app, “Cott-Ally” has been developed by CCI for providing latest news regarding weather condition, Crop situation and best farm practices.
• Discount of Rs.300/- per candy is being offered in its regular sale to MSME mills, Khadi and Village industry, Cooperative sector mills.

Production and Consumption

• India is the country to grow all four species of cultivated cotton: Gossypiumarboreum and herbaceum (Asian cotton), G.barbadense (Egyptian cotton) and G. hirsutum (American Upland cotton).
• Gossypiumhirsutum represents 88% of the hybrid cotton production in India and all the current Bt cotton hybrids are G.hirsutuim.

In India, majority of the cotton production comes from nine major cotton growing states, which are grouped into three diverse agro-ecological zones:

• Northern Zone – Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan
• Central Zone – Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh
• Southern Zone – Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Import/Export

• Cotton is a freely exportable commodity from India. India exports cotton mainly to Bangladesh, China, Vietnam, Pakistan, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand etc.
• Although India is a major producer and exporter of cotton fibre, a small quantity of extra-long fibre variety of cotton which is not available in the country, is imported.

Scheme to promote cotton cultivation in the country

• Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare is implementing Cotton Development Programme with a focus on cropping system approach under National Food Security Mission (NFSM) in 15 major cotton growing states.
• Under the scheme, thrust is given for transfer of latest technology to cotton growers through Front Line Demonstration (FLD) on Integrated Crop Management (ICM), Intercropping & Desi/Extra Long Staple Cotton and trials on High Density Planting System.
• From 2015-16, NFSM is being implemented on sharing basis between Government of India and States on 60:40 basis for general category states and 90:10 basis for North East & Hilly states.
• Central Agencies are funded 100% by Government of India.
• States can support cotton development programme under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) with the approval of State Level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC).