In order to examine the development of initiatives for the cotton value chain, Indian Textile Minister Piyush Goyal conducted the sixth interactive meeting with the Textile Advisory Group (TAG) in Rajkot, Gujarat. By concentrating on the cotton value chain, the meeting sought to improve the value returns to producers.
Goyal applauded the traceability, certification, and branding of Kasturi cotton in India and highlighted that branding Indian cotton will greatly enhance the entire cotton value chain from producers to end customers. He stressed the need for stronger organic cotton certification standards and asked for industry support in encouraging cotton producers to grow organic cotton.
Additionally, he suggested assembling a working group of specialists, representatives from business, the relevant ministries. The Indian ministry of textiles announced in a press release a comprehensive action plan to increase the production of organic cotton using a cluster-based strategy.
Additionally, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare received final approval for a comprehensive plan to increase cotton productivity with funds totaling 4,186.85 lakh under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM), and cluster-wise identification of villages/farmers has been completed in Rajasthan and is ongoing in all other cotton-growing states.
Darshana V. Jardosh, a minister of state for textiles and railroads, and Suresh Kotak, the TAG meeting’s chairman, also provided leadership. Members of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the Competition Commission of India (CCI), the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and other. Senior representatives from linked ministries and participants from all points along the cotton value chain attended the meeting.
According to the press release, the conference underscored the necessity for a concerted effort to realise the PM’s vision of the five Fs—from farm to foreign—in the cotton textile value chain and reclaim cotton’s hegemony.
