Govt draws up cotton mission to upgrade quality, production

NEW DELHI: The Centre has asserted the quality of cotton produced in the country is at par with the international standards and said it was making all efforts to raise production and quality of the fibre. ���The quality of cotton produced in the country is at par according to the international standards,��� minister of state for agriculture Kanti Lal Bhuria informed the Lok Sabha on Monday. To increase production, yield and quality of cotton, the minister said: ���the government is implementing a Technology Mission on Cotton (TMC)���.

TMC consists of four mini missions. The first one deals with research and development of improved cotton production and crop protection technology. The minister said: ���the ICAR has initiated appropriate steps to evaluate new geno-type with high fibre quality as well as to restore the genetic potentiality of extra long staple cotton���.

Bhuria further said the development of long linted diploid deshi cot.on like PA 255, PA 402 and NH 452, which have high productivity, early maturity, excellent fibre quality and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses for cultivation under rain-fed cotton, helped marginal farmers to raise quality of cotton.

The second mini mission deals with development and extension activities, third one is meant for improvement of market yard and the fourth one is for modernisation of ginning and pressing factories, he added.