Union Minister of Textiles Piyush Goyal held second interactive meeting with the Textile Advisory Group (TAG), in Mumbai, on 14.07.2022 to review progress of work.

Goyal emphasized that supply of good quality cotton seeds is the vital necessity for improving productivity of cotton. He also emphasized the need to introduce advanced technologies related to high yielding cotton seeds and innovative agronomy such as High Density Planting System to enhance productivity of cotton.

He directed the Cotton Corporation of India to lend Agricultural Extension Services in co-operation with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to our farmers through its network of branches all over India.

Goyal wishes industry to focus on quality consciousness across the value chain and assured that initiatives for supporting modern facilities would be facilitated. Textile Value Chain needs to strengthen traceability technologies and testing facilities in the country.

While deliberating on the approaches for use of coloured fertilizers bag to avoid contamination in cotton, Shri Goyal directed TAG to address the long pending issue on priority with a solution which does not lend itself to any cost escalation.

Addressing the need of specific delivery based contract and open position limits on MCX, Goyal directed the Ministry, Textile Commissioner, CCI and TAG to engage with MCX/SEBI and find structured solutions on ‘contract’ front. Any possibilities of manipulations on price front to the disadvantage of cotton textile value chain have to be contained.

Goyal, on the suggestions of the industry, directed the Textile Commissioner that the penal provisions under the relevant Sections of Collection of Statistics Act be invoked for compliance to address the need of accuracy of statistics across the value chain.

The action may begin with the Ginning segment immediately. He directed the Textile Commissioner to utilize services of CCI personnel for data collection from Ginning segment under Collection of Statistics Act.

On suggestions to evolve yarn national index, Goyal directed to examine its objectivity, feasibility and reliability for industry.

For mechanized cotton picking, he stressed that a dedicated effort be done by Central Institute for Research in Cotton Technology (CIRCOT) and the Southern India Mills’ Association - Cotton Development & Research Association (SIMA-CDRA) to make an indigenous, cost effective and efficient device validated by our user farmers.

Union Minister of State for Textiles Darshana V. Jardosh, Upendra Prasad Singh, Secretary Textiles, Senior Officials from the Union Ministries of Textiles, Agriculture & Farmer’s Welfare, Commerce, Officials from Research and Development sector, Senior Officials from the Office of the Textile Commissioner & the Cotton Corporation of India Ltd., and stakeholders were present.

The whole of textile value chain was represented in the consultations through lead associations and experts in the meeting.

The actions initiated subsequent to the points that emerged from the last interactive meeting held on 29.05.2022 at Mumbai were deliberated followed by presentation by Shri Suresh Kotak, Chairman of the TAG & renowned veteran cotton person.

Suresh Kotak elaborated initiatives in the direction to augment supply, crop protection and cotton productivity, which are essential for strengthening cotton textile value chain from farm to fashion to foreign.

The meeting was co-ordinated jointly by the Textile Commissioner and Cotton Corporation of India Ltd.