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N. Revathy

COIMBATORE, Nov. 29

THE Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) plans to set up a new cell in the research station to interact with farmers on a daily basis.

Dr T.P. Rajendran, the new chief of CICR, told Business Line that he was interested in making the institute don an advisory role to impart programmes for the benefit of the cotton farmer, though it was outside the ambit of the institute.

Expressing concern over the current crisis in cotton arising out of rising production cost and increased use of pesticides Dr Rajendran said, ``growers are sandwiched between seed suppliers and pesticide traders. They are unable to get the real value for the produce which is frittered by middlemen.''

He opined that reduction of farm cost in the production of cotton fibre through organic residue recycling and composting could be an attractive off-season activity for these families. This would make the production system environmentally benign and reduce dependence on off-farm inputs, he reasoned.

Dr Rajendran hoped to replicate his work of transforming nearly 1.5 lakh hectares into organic farms in the Central cotton zone during last decade in this belt soon.

He also stressed the need to adopt the seed village concept to ensure varietal discipline, uniformity of genotype cultivation and supply of pure seeds. CICR has amply demonstrated its success through its venture in Ghorad village, Kalameshwar Taluk, Nagpur District, he said.

Attributing the low productivity of the Indian cotton to adoption of hybrids in rainfed areas, he said even in the irrigated northern zone, growers opted for varieties, as they practised multiple cropping under high input conditions.

Conceding that there was a profuse reduction in cotton area in Tamil Nadu during the current season, Dr. Rajendran said most of the cotton growing area was rainfed and the monsoon was not favourable. He suggested enhancement in cotton area in the rice fallow belt.

He disclosed that the research station would release newer varieties soon under the fast track mode. ``We need Government support at this juncture. We are caught in a whirlpool as agriculture is a State subject,'' he added.

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