Govt Clears ₹5,659 Cr Cotton Mission to Boost Sector: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, today approved the Cotton Productivity Mission. Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, said that the approval of the mission, along with the agreement on safe trade of agricultural products, plant quarantine and phytosanitary cooperation with SCO member countries, marks an extremely significant decision for farmers, the agricultural economy and the nation’s food security.

Shri Chouhan said the initiative will connect cotton farmers with modern research, advanced technologies and improved production systems, while also strengthening safe agricultural trade, reducing pest-related risks and enhancing international cooperation.

The Union Agriculture Minister stated that the approval of the Cotton Productivity Mission by the Union Cabinet under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is a highly encouraging, visionary and transformative decision for the country’s cotton farmers. He noted that India accounts for more than 21 percent of global cotton production and that cotton cultivation is spread across more than 11.447 million hectares, making the sector crucial for the livelihoods of millions of farmers as well as for the country’s textile industry.

Shri Chouhan said the cotton sector has long faced serious challenges, including low productivity, rain-fed cultivation, resistance of pink bollworm, climate risks, soil degradation, weak crop management practices, limited availability of quality inputs and regional disparities. He said the decline in production and the widening gap between consumption and supply made it clear that comprehensive, organised and scientific intervention was urgently needed in the cotton sector.

He added that the Cotton Productivity Mission has been designed to address these challenges by increasing farmers’ income, ensuring a steady supply of quality cotton and revitalising India’s traditional textile sector.

Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the mission aligns with the integrated 5F vision of the textile sector: Farm, Fibre, Factory, Fashion and Foreign, and will provide the country with a strong and sustainable value chain from agriculture to industry.

He informed that a total provision of Rs. 5,659.22 crore has been made for the mission. The first major component focuses on enhancing cotton productivity and production through strategic interventions, including research and extension activities. This component will be implemented by the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) and the Department of Agricultural Research & Education (DARE) under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.

Shri Chouhan said that under DARE, Rs. 555.05 crore will be spent on research-driven interventions aimed at improving cotton productivity and production. Under this initiative, 24 new high-yielding and climate-resilient cotton varieties and hybrids will be developed, with special emphasis on pest resistance, higher ginning percentage, better yield, superior fibre quality, tolerance to biotic stress, transgenic technologies, tilling, genome editing and region-specific extra-long staple, coloured and indigenous cotton varieties.

The Union Agriculture Minister further said that under DA&FW, Rs. 3,804.17 crore will be utilised for the large-scale extension of the latest crop production technologies. This will include demonstration-based promotion of high-density planting systems, narrow-spacing planting systems, extra-long staple varieties and integrated crop management practices at the field level.

He stated that in the initial phase, the mission will cover nearly 24 lakh hectares across 140 districts in 14 cotton-producing states and is expected to benefit around 32 lakh farmers. Implementation through state governments and ICAR will ensure that new technologies, improved practices and scientific advisory services directly reach farmers.

Shri Chouhan said the mission aims to increase the current cotton productivity level from around 440 kilograms of lint per hectare to 755 kilograms of lint per hectare by 2031. Similarly, cotton production is targeted to rise from the current 297 lakh bales to 498 lakh bales by 2031. He said these targets will not only take cotton production to new heights but will also ensure stable availability of quality raw material for the country’s textile industry.

Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan also said that the approval of the agreement with SCO member countries by the Union Cabinet is another highly important step for the agriculture sector. The agreement aims to facilitate safe trade in agricultural products among member countries to ensure food security and strengthen plant quarantine and phytosanitary measures to minimise the risk of pest outbreaks in agricultural trade.

He said that under this cooperation framework, member countries will work together to strengthen plant quarantine systems, share information and experiences, undertake capacity-building initiatives, promote technical cooperation and research, collaborate on regulatory systems, exchange information related to pest-free areas and organise joint programmes, training workshops, conferences, awareness campaigns and field exercises.

He added that this cooperation will strengthen the agricultural security framework, enhance trade confidence and provide a new dimension to long-term regional cooperation.

Shri Chouhan said that while the Cotton Productivity Mission will empower farmers with higher production, better quality and increased income, SCO cooperation will make agricultural trade safer, more organised and more scientific. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, every decision of the Central Government is aimed at strengthening farmer welfare, agricultural advancement, food security and the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat.