World Cotton Day 2023

Source: PIB
GS II: Agriculture

Overview

1. News in Brief
2. About Kasturi Cotton program
3. Cotton Cultivation in India

Why in the News?

The Ministry of Textiles marked World Cotton Day 2023 by hosting a conference centred on the theme of Enhancing Quality & Productivity of Indian Cotton through Policy, Innovation, & Technology Upgradation.

• This event was conducted in collaboration with the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) and the EU-Resource Efficiency Initiative, an initiative by GIZ.

News in Brief

• Conference held on the eve of World Cotton Day, highlighted best practices and sustainable farming methods throughout the cotton value chain, spanning from Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign.
• Brainstorming sessions addressed crucial topics, including Enhancing Sustainability and circularity in the Cotton Value Chain and Cotton Mission for Enhancing Quality and Productivity.

Important outcomes

• To ensure that the quality, variety, origin, and other vital parameters of cotton are transparent to both Indian and international buyers, CCI launched the Bale Identification and Traceability System (BITS) using Blockchain Technology.
• Each cotton bale now carries a QR code that allows easy tracking of its original source, processing factory, storage details, and associated cotton quality information, including timestamps.
• Additionally, the Ministry of Textiles introduced the Kasturi Cotton program, a premium certified quality cotton with traceability.
• TEXPROCIL, in collaboration with CCI on behalf of the Ministry of Textiles, is overseeing the implementation of this program.
• All ginners in the country are empowered to produce Kasturi Cotton following quality protocols.

About the Kasturi Cotton India program

• Kasturi Cotton India (KCI) is an initiative of the Government of India, Textile Trade Bodies and Industry.
• GOI have the objective of creating premium value for cotton grown in India.
• Process of branding Indian cotton forward, The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL) and the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on December 2022 at Varanasi.
• In the MoU, Texprocil was designated as the implementing Agency for Branding, Tracing and Certification of Kasturi Cotton India.
• The program will give increasing credibility through transparent dealings by highlighting the sustainable practices used in producing homegrown cotton thereby earning a premium price.

About World Cotton Day

• World Cotton Day, is observed on October 7 each year.
• Emphasises cotton’s importance in generating jobs and supporting economies, especially in less developed countries.
• The day’s celebrations promote fair trade and help developing nations engage in all aspects of the cotton industry.
• It was introduced by the World Trade Organization (WTO) on October 7, 2019, with support from Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Mali, known as the Cotton Four or C4 countries.
• The WTO approved the proposal of the C4 countries to create World Cotton Day.

The theme for World Cotton Day 2023 is ‘Making cotton fair and sustainable for all, from farm to fashion’.

Cotton Cultivation in India

• Cotton is one of the most important fibre and cash crops of India.
• It plays a dominant role in the industrial and agricultural economy of the country.
• It provides the basic raw material (cotton fibre) to the cotton textile industry.
• Cotton in India provides direct livelihood to 6 million farmers and about 40 -50 million people are employed in the cotton trade and its processing.

Major Cotton Growing Zones

• Ten major cotton-growing states are divided into three zones
  • North zone
  • Central zone
  • South zone.The
• North zone consists of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.
• The central zone includes Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
• South zone comprises Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
• Besides these ten States, cotton cultivation has gained momentum in the Eastern State of Orissa.
• Cotton is also cultivated in small areas of non-traditional States such as Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal & Tripura.

Types of Cotton Species

• There are four cultivated species of cotton
  1. Gossypium arboreum
  2. G.herbaceum
  3. G.hirsutum
  4. G.barbadense.
• The first two are also known as Asiatic cotton because they are grown in Asia.
• The last two species are tetraploid and are also referred to as New World Cottons.
• G.hirsutum is also known as American cotton or upland cotton
• G.barbadense as Egyptian cotton or Sea Island cotton Peruvian Cotton Tanguish Cotton or quality cotton.
• G.hirsutum is the predominant species which alone contributes about 90% to global production.
• Perhaps, India is the only country in the world where all four cultivated species are grown on a commercial scale.

Climate & Soil for Cultivation

• It will grow in both tropical & sub-tropical conditions.
• Temperature
  • Minimum temperature of 15° C
  • The optimum temperature for vegetative growth is 21-27° C
• Warm days of cool nights with large diurnal variations during the period are conducive for good boll & fibre development.
• Soil
  • Well-drained deep alluvial soils in the north
  • Black clayey soils of varying depth in the central region
  • Black and mixed black and red soils in the south zone

Cultivating Season

• Generally early April-May in northern India
• Cotton is a Kharif crop in the major parts of the country.
  • Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and parts of Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka.
  • irrigated crop is sown from March-May and the rain-fed crop in June-July
• In Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, the cotton is usually sown in August-September.

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