The Minister of Textiles, Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs and Food and Public Distribution Shri Piyush Goyal held a second interactive meeting with the Textile Advisory Group (TAG) on 14 July 2022 in Mumbai to review the progress of the work. Shri Goyal emphasized that the supply of quality cotton seed is a critical necessity to improve cotton productivity. He also emphasized the need to introduce advanced technologies related to high yielding cotton seeds and innovative agronomy such as high density planting system to increase cotton productivity. He directed Cotton Corporation of India to lend Agricultural Extension Services in collaboration with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to our farmers through its network of branches across India.
Wishing the industry to focus on quality consciousness across the value chain, Shri Goyal assured that initiatives to promote modern facilities would be facilitated. The Textile Value Chain needs to strengthen traceability technologies and testing facilities in the country. While considering approaches to use colored fertilizer bags to prevent contamination of cotton, Shri Goyal directed TAG to prioritize addressing the long pending problem with a solution that would not itself incur any cost escalation. Addressing the need for specific delivery based contracts and open position limits on MCX, Shri Goyal directed the Ministry, Textile Commissioner, CCI and TAG to engage with MCX/SEBI and find structured solutions on the ‘contracts’ front. All possibilities of manipulation on the price front to the detriment of the cotton textile value chain must be caught.
Shri Goyal, on the suggestion of the industry, directed the Commissioner of Textiles to apply penal provisions under the relevant sections of the Statistics Collection Act to meet the requirements of accuracy of statistics across the value chain. The action can start immediately with the de-graining segment. He directed the Textile Commissioner to avail the services of CCI staff for collection of data from the ginning segment under the Collection of Statistics Act.Based on the proposals for developing the National Yarn Index, Shri Goyal focused on examining its objectivity, feasibility and reliability for the industry. On mechanized cotton picking, he pointed out that the Central Institute for Research in Cotton Technology (CIRCOT) and the Southern India Mills’ Association – Cotton Development & Research Association (SIMA-CDRA) have made special efforts to create a home-grown, cost-effective and efficient facility validated by our farmers.
Union Minister of State for Textiles and Railways, Smt. Darshana V. Jardosh, Shri Upendra Prasad Singh, Secretary Textiles, Senior Officials from Union Ministries of Textiles, Agriculture and Farmers, Commerce, Officials from Research and Development Sector, Senior Officials from Office of Textile Commissioner and Cotton Corporation of India Ltd. and stakeholders were present. The entire textile value chain was represented in the consultations through association leaders and experts at the meeting. Actions initiated on the points arising from the last interactive meeting held on 29.05.2022 at Mumbai were discussed followed by a presentation by Shri Suresh Kotak, Chairman, TAG and a renowned cotton veteran. Shri Suresh Kotak has developed initiatives to increase supply, crop protection and productivity of cotton, which are essential to strengthen the cotton textile value chain from farm to fashion to overseas. The meeting was jointly coordinated by the Textile Commissioner and the Cotton Corporation of India Ltd.
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