The Southern India Mills Association (SIMA), the apex body of textile mills in the South, wants a Cotton Development Board on the lines of the Coffee Board.
SIMA Chairman T Rajkumar told media persons that India has the potential to produce 1,000 lakh bales (170 kg each) of cotton by 2020-2023.
He said cotton production has been good in the last two years and has been hovering around 370-375 lakh bales.
He said that the marginal decline in cotton prices in the domestic market was mainly due to the drop in availability of quality fibre.
“Quality cotton is being exported,” Rajkumar said. Asked if SIMA was considering a reduction in the cotton yarn price, (a demand from the knitwear exporting community) he said: “Yarn prices have remained stable since February.”