Cotton is one of the most important fiber as well as cash crop, after the food grains such as wheat and paddy in India. In the country a significant farming population (about 6 million) is based on it and about 40-50 million people are working in the cotton industries directly or indirectly. India is second largest producer of the cotton after the China. It is mainly produced in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Odisha states of the India. The expected area during the year 2013-14 in India, is 119.78 lakh hectare, which is expected to produce 375 lakh bales (each bale of 170 kg). The main states producing cotton are Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and it is expected that during the year 2013-14, it will be grown on 26.91, 38.72, 21.42 lakh hectare with the production of 116.00, 81.00, 72.00 lakh bales respectively.
China produces about 32% of the world production followed by India 23%, US 12%, Pakistan 9% and so on. Previously US was producing more cotton than India as the data of 1990-91 shows, US produced 18% and India produced 10% of the world production. But in the previous decade India preformed well and crossed US production. The area under cotton in the world was about 36 million hectare in 2011-12, which was cultivating on around 33 million hectare two decades back, indicates the increase by 10%. It is more significant to say that the yield during this period has increased significantly from about 550 kilogram per hectare to 759 kilogram per hectare showing improvement of 36% in yield.
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Cotton, being the major source for fine clothing and also required at the time of medical treatments, is consumed all over the world. The global maximum consumption is in China (23%), India 10%, Pakistan (7%), US (10%), Turkey (3%), Indonesia (2%), Thailand (2%) etc. The main exporting countries of the cotton are US, India, Uzbekistan, Australia, Brazil, while the main importers are China, Bangladesh, Turkey, Indonesia, Vietnam, Pakistan, Mexico, South Korea and Taiwan. Since the US leads in export with the 41% share in the global exports, it tends to play major role in pricing on the export front and China being the largest producer and consumer, affects the trends in production and consumption of cotton of the global trade.
The size of holding being small in the country, a farmer has poor holding capacity, not being able to manage the scientific transportation and storing facilities, immediately will have to take to the nearby market in open vehicles, boosting the deterioration with dirt and dust. Even manual picking is done which contaminates the cotton fiber with other trash materials. In the market yards, the attempt is to carry out the auction/sale in vehicles, but sometimes it is unloaded on the platform in the market yard for auction/sale. After the auction/sale, again the produce is unloaded on the platform in the open in ginning factory, before the ginning starts. Cotton, being the fine lint, requires covered handling to save it from contamination, which is not available due to inadequate infrastructure at farms, markets, and ginning industries level.
TheGovernment of India started technology mission on cotton (TMC) in the year2000, to improve productivity, production and quality of the crop. This schemewas implemented in four areas which was research, technology disseminationprogram for farmers, improvements in market infrastructure and modernization,ginning and pressing sector. This mission has helped to improve the quality aswell as productivity of cotton, thereby revived the sector, which was facingproblems previously. But still this sector is lacking improvements on all thecorners. Very few industries and market yards are improved, but the main chunksyet require improvements. This scheme must continue with the vast budget toimprove every concerned area within short span. The main issue in this sectorduring the market season is that when cotton arrival starts in the market, thenon that time the paddy arrival also starts in all northern states. The dirt anddust removed from paddy while cleaning contaminates the cotton as the marketyards are same for both the crops. In this TMC mission, no doubt the yards areseparated, but are within the same premises only; small demarcations are madefor the area where the cotton is to be sold, did not help much.
Theproduction of cotton is mainly dependent on the enhanced productivity which canonly be achieved by the best package practices and best management services inthe production process. The main issue is of sustainable, decease resistant,adverse weather tolerant, high yielding varieties. BT varieties have given arelief to this sector, but yet more can be achieved. At the time of picking,transportation, storage and handling, cotton must be saved from contamination.It can only be achieved by up grading technology for these acts. As due to thesmall size on holdings in the country, the marketable surplus of the farmer isvery less, and it is uneconomic to use the required technology. Close self helpgroups should be established with common mechanization process to handle theseactivities in a scientific manner.
Insome markets, testing laboratories are established which give result aboutstrength, length, thickness, ginning percentage, weight of the lint, etc., butmore scientific, quick and accurate machines are required. It should be madecompulsory that each and every heap should be analyzed before the sale isconducted in the market yard, and prices should be paid as per results of thetest and not as per visual observations. This will help to improve the qualityand the genuine price to be paid to farmers. It ultimately helps to check themarket malpractices and monopolized situation.
Onthe forefront side, the detailed requirements of cotton product and globalscenario should be announced well in advance (before the start of season), sothat each and every person connected with the sector especially the farmerknows about the prospects. The best variety seeds which have highestgermination percentage, disease resistance and suitability to that area shouldbe made available as per requirements. The extension activities, which provideknowledge as to what to be done and when to be done, must be provided by the extensionagencies at the door step. No doubt, weather cannot be stopped from beingadverse, but the forecast system should be more strong and accurate well inadvance, to guide the farmer for some remedial measures which can be takeneasily. The accurate data on each and every activity, starting from sowing tillit is converted into yarn, related to from where, what is available, which isrequired for this sector, must be known to every connected person and should beavailable in abundance. To produce in quality especially organically, must beencouraged with the agency for the certification.
Cottonis the main crop playing pivotal role in Indian farming economy. Long term planshould be devised and implemented region wise. The public sector must intervenein all activities to provide a parallel sector for competition for helping thefarmer in getting remunerative prices and also to boost productivity duringadverse period, which will help to sustain the cotton scenario in the India.Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) or other related central or state agenciesmust enter and procure from all markets in the country on remunerative/marketprices for the stable production, so that the sector remains sustainable infuture and helps the textile industry to plan on long term basis in a big way.This sector has a bright future with hopes that India will be at number oneposition in production as well as consumption most probably after one decade.
S.S.Randhawa is theManaging Director of National Council of State Agricultural Marketing Boards,New Delhi.
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