The Centre is likely to announce a revamped cotton technology mission in Budget, aiming to bring in latest technologies to help farmers get better yield. Details are currently being worked out jointly by the Textile Ministry and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), sources said.

The Technology Mission on Cotton (TMC) was launched in 1999-2000 as a three-year programme, but got extended from time to time until it finally ended in 2013-14. The Centre spent ₹421 crore under TMC during 2000-10. From 2014-15, the government has included cotton under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM), which some experts believed was a dilution of the importance of the fibre crop.

Under the TMC, there were two main components mini mission I and mini mission II, which the government now focusses on to revamp in next five years, official sources said.

While MM I deals only with research, the MM II is related to extension work including making a linkage between farmers and industry, officials said.

ICAR plea

The Finance Minister may announce certain amount of funding for the revamped TMC for a five-year period as ICAR has communicated that funding for any cotton research project should be at least for four years to expect some results, sources said.

Union Textile Minister Giriraj Singh is believed to have taken a keen interest to roll out the revamped TMC as soon as possible, which was on discussion for quite some time. Singh has been directly in touch with top agriculture scientists in cotton as well as with ICAR DG Himanshu Pathak, the sources said.

Though it is yet to be worked out, official sources said at least ₹500 crore should be allocated for the five -year period to get some results. While there is some resistance to provide any subsidy, the government is keen to facilitate easy credit from banks to farmers without the burden of repayment which will be taken care by private industry and will be adjusted against sales of cotton, the sources said.

New Bt cotton?

“The cotton farmers need to be provided short-term crop loan with higher limit than current ₹3 lakh at same subsidised interest rates so that they invest in improving infrastructure and adopt best management practices, besides buying latest technologies,” said a cotton seed expert.

Last week, Singh had said a new variety of technologically advanced Bt cotton might be allowed soon for commercial cultivation to help Indian textile industry in a bigger way. He said in order to overcome labour problem in the textile sector, efforts were on to utilise members of Self-Help Group (SHG) in a big way.

“Trial of HT (Herbicide Tolerance) Bt (also referred as BG III) cotton is going on. Upon completion of assessments by ICAR (Indian Council of Agriculture Research) and necessary approval is obtained, then its commercial cultivation can be permitted,” Singh told businessline. Such a variety could bring down the cost of production for farmers while also lead to bigger area coming under of cotton sowing and help the textile industry.

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