Mission for Cotton Productivity

“Mission for Cotton Productivity”

Introduction

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved Rs.5659.22crore for Mission for Cotton Productivity (2026–27 to 2030–31) to address bottlenecks, declininggrowth, and quality concerns in India’s cotton sector.

The mission aligns with the 5F vision (Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign) ofGovernment of India. The Mission focuses on enhancing cotton productivity through development ofHigh yielding variety (HYV) seeds resistant to disease and pests, scaling up of existing and latestcrop production technologies through states governments, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, and StateAgricultural Universities (SAUs) through large-scale promotion and adoption of latest cropproduction technologies, ensures least contaminant cotton supply to industry, and promote high-quality cotton exports with focus on the following major aspects:

• Development of High-yielding, climate resilient, pest-resistant seeds, and other production/protectiontechnologies
• Upscaling improved cotton production technologies like High Density Planting System (HDPS),Closer Spacing (CS), Integrated Cotton Management, and promotion of Extra Long Staple (ELS)Cotton
• Augmenting quality of cotton through capacity building and promoting modernization of ginning andprocessing factories, including adoption of best processing practices.
• Strengthening cotton testing infrastructure across the country with modern, standardized, andaccredited facilities to ensure reliable quality assessment and global benchmarking.
• Robust branding and traceability initiatives under Kasturi Cotton Bharat to position Indian cotton as apremium, sustainable, and globally trusted product.
• Empowering farmers through digital integration of market yards (mandis), enabling transparent pricediscovery, direct market access, and improved realization through e-platforms
• Promotion of cotton waste recycling and circular economy practices to enhance resource efficiency,reduce environmental footprint, and generate additional value streams for the industry

Diversification of India’s fibre base by including natural fibres like flax, ramie, sisal, milkweed,bamboo and banana and advancement of environmentally sustainable textile production andinnovations. Its strategic integration and promotion to complement cotton and align India’s textilesector with evolving global demand patterns.

           The Mission will be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Ministryof Textiles, involving 10 institutes of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), one instituteof Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and 10 centres of All India CoordinatedResearch Project (AICRPs) on Cotton operating in different State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) ofmajor cotton growing states. Initially, 140 districts will be focussed in 14 States through StateDepartment of Agriculture and ICAR for upscaling the technologies and 2000 ginning/ processingfactories. Development of high-yielding climate resistant and pest-resistant seeds, deploy modernfarming technologies, farmer training, quality improvement, traceability, and strengtheninginfrastructure by promoting sustainable fibres and innovation across the cotton value chain.

             The Mission envisages to accomplish the production of 498 lakh bales (170 kg lint each) of cotton byenhancing lint productivity from 440 kg/ha to 755 kg/ha by 2031. Approximately 32 lakh farmerswill be benefitted leading to self-reliance. Promotion of Kasturi Cotton Bharat for traceability andcertification, targeting trash reduction <2% and promotion of natural fibres like flax, ramie, sisal,milkweed, bamboo and banana. This is a milestone in making the country self-reliant in Cotton Sector.