The Centre has approved the Quality Control Order (QCO) for mandatory certification of cotton bales, which is expected to augment supply of quality cotton to the textile industry, according to the Ministry of Textiles.
According to officials, the compulsory requirement of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification for cotton bales sold in India is expected to check imports of substandard cotton and ensure domestic cotton meets certain minimum quality parameters.
Industry sources said the move will ensure that the quality of domestic cotton improves, while there is no problem with imports, which can meet any quality specification.
The QCO for cotton bales, drafted in consultation with the BIS, was approved by Union Minister of Textiles and Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal.
Goyal presided over the fifth meeting with the Textile Advisory Group (TAG) in New Delhi to review the progress of initiatives for the cotton value chain. He said that the quality of Indian cotton fibre was beneficial for both farmers and industry.
A holistic plan to enhance cotton productivity by targeting the technology of HDPS (High Density Planting System), closer spacing, and ELS (extra-long staple) has been approved, the release stated.
“It is based on a public-private partnership with a cluster-based and value-chain approach. The Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) under the aegis of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has prepared this pilot plan to be implemented from 2023–2024,” it said.
Branding
Branding of Indian cotton will add great value to the entire cotton value chain, from farmers and ginners to cotton users and consumers, Goyal said.
An MoU was signed in December 2022 between the Cotton Corporation of India and export promotion body, Texprocil, to encourage the industry to work on the principle of self-regulation by taking complete responsibility for the oftraceability, certification, and branding of `KASTURI Cotton India’.
“A steering committee and an apex committee have been constituted, and the work of TEXPROCIL will begin in the current cotton season,” the statement pointed out.
Goyal stressed that there was a need for strengthening the testing facility to conform to KASTURI standards, DNA testing and traceability. He assured that adequate modern testing facilities would be created through BIS and Textile Research Associations.