At 44th Annual General Meeting of The SIMA Cotton Development & Research Association (SIMA CD & RA) held on September 26, 2019 at the Conference Hall, SIMA Premises, Race Course, Coimbatore, Mr R Elango, Managing Director of Sangeeth Textiles Limited, Coimbatore has been unanimously re-elected as Chairman of the Association for the year 2019-20.
Mr R Ravichandran, Director of Veejay Yarns & Fabrics Pvt Limited has been
re-elected as the Deputy Chairman of the Association for the year 2019-20.
Mr G Venkatramachandran, Managing Director of Laven Technoblend Limited (previously known as Coimbatore Popular Spinning Mills Ltd.) has been re-elected as Vice-Chairman of the Association for the year 2019-20.
SIMA CD & RA is a registered non-profit organization, established in the year 1974 by the textile mills in the Southern States of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Pondicherry. Its main objective is to promote the development of cotton farming for enhancing cotton production, productivity and fibre quality so that the raw cotton may be made available at reasonable price to the textile mills. It supplements the efforts of the State and Central Governments and other agencies in promoting the increased production of quality cotton to meet the demands of the textile industry.
Activities:
- Production and distribution of genetically pure good quality non-Bt varietal and hybrid cotton seeds to the farming community to supplement the efforts of the Government and other agencies.
- Production and distribution of Biofertilizers and Vermicompost for sustainable production.
SIMA CD&RA jointly with Point Industries (sister concern of Sharp Industries, Coimbatore) has developed an indigenous Kapas Plucker in a cost effective manner. With this machine one farmer can pick 60-80 Kgs of kapas per day as against 12-20 Kgs of manual picking and it picks only matured and fully opened kapas without any trash and contamination.
The Kapas Plucker was tested by the Agricultural Machinery Research Centre, Agricultural Enginneering College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Coimbatore and also by the Farm Machinery Testing Centre, ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Regional Centre, SBI Post,Coimbatore.
Tamil Nadu Government is providing subsidy to the extent of 50% of the cost of the machine under National Agricultural Development Programme. Cotton Corporation of India is also distributing SIMA Kapas Pluker at free of cost under their CSR activities to the farmers.
Research Projects:
The following research projects are being carried out in the R & D Farm:
- Screening of Germplasm collections for tolerance to insect pests, diseases and for other desirable traits.
- Identification of hi-tech hybrid combinations under Intra-hirsutum hybrid combinations and inter-specific hybrid combinations.
- SIMA CD & RA has an extra long staple culture SIMA 5 having high yield, high ginning outturn in AICRP trial ranked third in trials.
- Shakthi Bt an Extra Long Staple variety developed by SIMA CD & RA was released by ICAR.
- R & D development of pipeline cultures in extra long staple, long staple, medium staple, coloured cotton and also cultures for high density planting system are also in progress.
The address of Chairman, Mr R Elango at the 44th AGM is attached and we request you to kindly give a vide coverage.
Address by Mr R Elango, Chairman, SIMA CD & RA at the 44th Annual General Meeting of the Association at 4.00 p.m. on Thursday, September 26, 2019 at the Conference Hall, SIMA Premises, 41, Race Course, Coimbatore.
Good Evening Friends,
Cotton Scenario
Global
Global cotton production, use and trade depressed in 2018-19 marketing season were anticipated to revive in 2019-20 season and to end with a higher stock than that of the previous season. This ensures not only comfortable supply position on the one hand but also indicates increased demand for cotton seeds.
Global area under cotton in 2019-20 marketing season has been projected at 34.66 million hectares, 3.40 per cent higher than previous season area of 33.52 million hectares with increased average yield of 785 kgs per hectare, 1.55 per cent higher than previous season average yield of 773 kgs per hectare.
With increased area and yield cotton production has been projected to increase to 27.19 million tonnes, 4.90 per cent higher than previous season production and also global cotton use to 26.51 million tonnes, 1.11 per cent higher than previous season use. With increased use, global export has been anticipated to increase to 9.44 million tonnes, 5.36 per cent higher than previous season export. With seasonal production higher than seasonal use, the season has been anticipated to end with a higher stock of 18.23 million tonnes, 3.63 per cent higher than previous season ending stock.
Domestic
On the home front, the country’s production in 2018-19 has been estimated at 337 lakh bales, 8.92 per cent lower than previous season production of 370 lakh bales in spite of a marginal increase in the area to 126.07 lakh hectares compared to previous season area of 125.86 lakh hectares because of lower yield the Cotton Advisory Board. The yield worked out to 454 kgs per hectare, 9.20 per cent lower than previous season yield of 500 kgs per hectare because crop damage due to pest attack in central zone which account for more than half of the country’s production.
For 2019-20 marketing season, the USDA has projected the country’s cotton production at 6.42 million tonnes (378 lakh bales), 11 per cent higher than previous season production of 5.77 million tonnes (339 lakh bales) and use has also been projected to increase to 5.39 million tonnes (317 lakh bales), 3 per cent higher than previous season use of 5.23 million tonnes (308 lakh bales). The department anticipated higher export and lower import during the season compared to previous season trade levels. As a result, the season had been projected to end in July 2020 with a stock of 2.69 million tonnes (158 lakh bales), higher than previous season same time ending stock of 2.18 million tonnes (128 lakh bales).
Cotton Prices
Minimum Support Price
The MSP of medium and long staple kapas for 2018-19 season was increased by 28 and 26 per cent to Rs 5150 and Rs 5450 per quintal from previous season MSP of Rs 4020 and Rs 4320 per quintal respectively. The MSP of medium and long staple kapas for 2019-20 season has been further increased to Rs 5255 and Rs 5550 per quintal respectively.
International Vs Domestic Prices
While the average of international cotton price during first eleven months of Indian cotton season 2018-19 ruled below the average price prevailed during the corresponding period of the previous season, domestic price ruled high.
The average of daily quotes of Cotlook A Index during October, 2018 to August 2019 worked out to 81.57 cents per pound, 9.33 per cent lower than previous year same period average of 89.96 cents per pound. Whereas, the domestic price of bench mark variety Shankar-6 during October, 2018 to August 2019 worked out to Rs 44,252 per candy, 5.24 per cent higher than previous year corresponding period average of Rs 42,050 per candy.
Though there was a delay in monsoon, higher domestic prices and increased MSP would increase the area marginally in 2019-20 season could witness increased demand for cotton seeds.
Activities of SIMA CD & RA
During 2018-19, the Association had an opening stock of 32.66 quintals of kapas, procured 943.39 quintals of kapas and obtained 31,858 kgs of lint and 61,271 kgs of seeds. The Association distributed 37,295 kgs of cotton seed, 11.0 per cent higher than previous year distribution of 33,593 kgs. Surabhi and Suraj variety cotton seeds accounted for about 85 per cent of total seeds distribution.
The Association has been successful in getting the CCI tenders floated during May-June 2019 for supplying around 225 tonnes of ELS varietal seeds to Tamil Nadu during the current season. On the confirmed orders for 144 tonnes of cotton seeds received till date, supplied 132 tonnes of cotton seeds and is in the process of supplying the remaining quantity. The Association anticipates confirmed orders for the supplying remaining quantity of of the tender and would supply immediately on getting the orders.
During the year the Association produced 50.8 tonnes of foundation seeds and 1.7 tonnes of certified seeds and received a grant of Rs 29.20 lakhs from the Department of Agriculture, Government of Tamil Nadu, marginally higher than previous year receipt of Rs. 27.04 lakhs.
SIMA Kapas Plucker
The Association distributed 227 kapas pluckers during the year and had 2156 pluckers in stock at the end of the year. CCI was the major purchaser who bought 213 pluckers and distributed them under their CSR activities. This year also, CCI had purchased 45 Kapas Pluckers and we look forward to their continued patronage. This has helped us to distribute the Kapas Pluckers in other cotton growing states across the country.
At this juncture, I would like to inform you that the Government of Tamil Nadu had planned to distribute 5,000 Kapas Pickers under Tamil Nadu Cotton Cultivation Mission. Further it had planned for the distribution of 2,962 Kapas Pickers under the National Agriculture Development Scheme by providing 50% of the cost of the machine subject to a maximum of Rs 3,500/- per machine as subsidy to farmers as back-ended subsidy using the unspent amount under the scheme in the previous year.
In this connection, the Association had already enrolled SIMA Kapas Plucker in the GeM portal and has been taking steps to include the Kapas Plucker in the list of machinery eligible for subsidy under Post Harvesting Technologies List which would be make the Kapas Plucker eligible for subsidy and distribution under these schemes. Our application for Patent Number for SIMA Kapas Plucker is under process.
The Association assisted in successful implementation of various components under the Tamil Nadu Cotton Cultivation Mission where in the benefits were passed on through DBT to farmers and is also successful is persuading the Government to carry forward the unspent amount of the Scheme to 2019-20.
Friends, our Vice-Chairman Mr G Venkataramachandran and Past Chairman Mr B Lakshminarayana has been working on entering into MoU with Cotton Development Organisation (CDO) and National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) of Uganda for sharing the technical know-how in improving cotton production, farm practise, farmers’ earning, etc. This would also pave way for marketing the Kapas Plucker.
Varieties Approved
I am glad to inform you that 4 medium staple varieties, 5 long staple varieties, 5 extra long staple varieties and one extra long staple hybrid developed by the Association has been approved distribution as Truthful seeds by the Director of Seed Certification and Organic Certification, Coimbatore.
Further, 5 high yielding varieties are undergoing various stages of trials and we expect that one among them to be named as “SIMA Platinum” would pass the final agronomy trial and approved for pre-release in the current season. This would be the first ELS Bt variety developed by SIMA CD & RA in the country and would be released by the Indian Council of Agriculture Research Centre. Currently, the two ELS Bt varieties developed by the Association – Mahashakthi and Sivashakthi are undergoing final trials.
