“White Gold: India’s Cotton Story”

Key Highlights:

• India is the only country cultivating all four recognized cotton species, ranking first globally in acreage and second in production and consumption.
• Mission for Cotton Productivity launched with ₹5,659.22 crore outlay to increase production to 498 lakh bales by 2031.
• Minimum Support Price (MSP) operations for cotton are undertaken by the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), with MSP for 2026-27 fixed at ₹8,267/quintal for medium-staple and ₹8,667/quintal for long-staple cotton.
• Kapas Kisan App digitizes cotton procurement, enabling self-registration and slot booking for farmers.
• Kasturi Cotton Bharat initiative aims to brand Indian cotton globally through traceability, certification, and quality assurance.
• A Special Project on Cotton under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) promotes high-density and closer spacing planting systems, showing significant yield gains.

Detailed Insights:

• Cotton is a crucial commercial crop, contributing nearly 19% of global fibre production and supporting livelihoods for millions in India.
• India's cotton sector boasts biological diversity, extensive cultivation, and a robust textile ecosystem, termed "White-Gold" due to its economic importance.
• Historically, India was a global center for cotton textiles, with the modern industry evolving from the 19th century and boosted by the Swadeshi movement.
• The four cultivated species include G. Arboreum, G. Herbaceum, G. Barbadense, and G. Hirsutum, with Bt cotton (genetically modified for bollworm resistance) belonging to G. Hirsutum.
• Cotton is classified by staple length (short, medium, medium-long, long, extra-long), determining fibre quality and end-use.
• Cotton cultivation is concentrated in 9 major states across Northern, Central, and Southern zones, with 62% of production being rain-fed.
• India exported 18 lakh bales in 2024-25, with the USA, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka being major destinations for cotton fabrics and made-ups.
• The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) recommends MSP to ensure farmers receive at least 50% returns on production costs.
• The Mission for Cotton Productivity focuses on research, innovation, and developing climate-resilient, high-yielding varieties, especially Extra Long Staple (ELS) cotton.
• The Special Project on Cotton under NFSM covers 8 major cotton-growing states, demonstrating technologies like High-Density Planting System (HDPS) and Closer Spacing.
• Kapas Kisan App has registered over 41 lakh farmers, facilitating Aadhaar-linked payments and real-time updates, making procurement paperless.
• Kasturi Cotton Bharat involves the Ministry of Textiles, CCI, and TEXPROCIL, using QR-based certification and blockchain for end-to-end traceability.
• Cotton by-products like cottonseed oil ("heart oil"), de-oiled cake for animal feed, and linters for medical applications highlight its versatility beyond textiles.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Minimum Support Price (MSP): A guaranteed price set by the government for agricultural produce to protect farmers against sharp falls in market prices.
• Bt cotton: Genetically modified cotton incorporating genes from Bacillus thuringiensis for resistance against bollworms.
• Kasturi Cotton Bharat: A branding initiative for Indian cotton ensuring purity, quality, and traceability through certification.
• Kapas Kisan App: A mobile application for transparent and efficient digital procurement of cotton under the MSP system.