The Hindu Business Line : CITI-CDRA to extend integrated cotton farming in Maharashtra

The Confederation of Indian Textile Industries' Cotton Development and Research Association (CITI-CDRA), which is currently involved in cotton development programmes in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhra Pradesh, is seeking to extend the integrated cotton farming programme in 9,600 acres in Wardha district of Maharashtra during 2006-07.

This programme would be carried out on behalf of the Rai Saheb Rekhchand Mohota Mills in Hinganghat and Technocraft (India) Ltd, Mumbai. The CITI-CDRA and Bayer Crop Science would act as the facilitators for the programme aimed at increasing the quality and quantity of cotton yield from the project farms, according to Mr P.D. Patodia, Chairman of the CITI-CDRA's standing committee on cotton.

The standing committee of the CDRA has also approved a front line demonstration programme for promotion of cotton acreage involving 400 acres in Selur and Pulgaon under the technology mission on cotton for 2006-07.

Productivity up

Disclosing this in a communication, Mr Patodia said the extension programmes and the cotton awareness programmes organised in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana during the 2005-06 season had substantially contributed to increasing the productivity, lowering the cost of cultivation and improving cotton quality.

Despite the record cotton crop during 2005-06, the textile industry is still faced with shortage of extra long staple (ELS) cotton to the extent of five lakh bales which is being met through imports. The demand for ELS is expected to go up from the present 9 lakh bales to 15 lakh by 2010.