Developmental Activities

Since beginning of 1990s CCI on its own had been undertaking developmental activities by ploughing back a part of its profits, with the main objective of improving the quality, yield and total income of the farmers. After setting up of Technology Mission on Cotton in February 2000, most of these developmental activities have come under the purview of TMC. Still, to supplement the efforts of State Agricultural Departments and other schemes of Government of India, CCI is continuing with few of its developmental activities as under:-

Integrated Cotton Cultivation (Contract Farming)

Apart from low yield per hectare, the quality of cotton produced in the country is comparatively more contaminated. While the interest of cotton farmers suffer due to higher cost of production and low productivity, the end user textile mills find it difficult to consume the available cotton – an admixture of varieties with higher percentage of trash and contamination.

In order to increase production and productivity of cotton thereby increasing the per hectare of the cotton farmers as also to produce quality cotton to suit the needs of the textile industry, the momentum on integrated cotton cultivation is gaining ground through linkages amongst all concerned. The farmers are expected to form associations for contract farming and textile mills and other coordinating agencies are entrusted all the extension services including various inputs and marketing support for such cotton produce. The scheme in its extended form benefit both the cotton growers through low cost of production and higher productivity and the textile mills with availability of quality cotton comparable with international standards.

To give a boost to cotton production through Contract Farming, CCI is undertaking contract farming programme in all the cotton growing States since 2002-03 and signing MoUs every year with the Farmers' Association. The details of contract farming of CCI since 2006-07 are as follows:

Technology Mission on Cotton

Technology Mission on Cotton was launched in February'2000 in the course of IXth plan with the objective to bring about tangible improvements in the productivity and quality of cotton in the country. It envisages development of all aspects of cotton from research to production, marketing and processing, in order to meet the domestic and export requirements of the country. The mission will remain operative in the Xth plan as well.

Technology Mission on Cotton comprises of 4 Mini-Missions. Mini-Mission I (Research) has ICAR as the nodal agency and Mini-Mission II (Transfer of Technology) has the department of Agriculture and Co-operation as the nodal agency while Mini-Mission III (Development of Market Infrastructure) and Mini-Mission IV (Modernisation/Upgradation of G&P factories) are administered by the Ministry of Textiles through CCI. Out of 250 market yards sanctioned under MM-III 246 market yards reported completion and out of 1011 Ginning and Pressing units under MM-IV 859 G&P factories reported modernized.