Mission Cotton Productivity: India’s Push for Self-Reliance and Global Competitiveness in Textiles

Relevance: UPSC: GS Paper III – Agriculture, Cropping Patterns, Inclusive Growth, Employment, Industrial Growth

Important Keywords for Prelims and Mains

For Prelims:

- Mission for Cotton Productivity, Textile Vision 2030, 5F Vision, Bt Cotton, Bollgard-II, Extra Long Staple Cotton, Pink Bollworm, PM MITRA Scheme, Cotton Corporation of India, Kasturi Cotton Bharat

For Mains:

- Cotton Productivity, Farmer Income, Textile Value Chain, Import Dependence, Pest Resistance, Climate-Smart Agriculture, Export Competitiveness, Agricultural Biotechnology

Why in News?

The Government of India has launched the Mission for Cotton Productivity to strengthen India’s cotton sector and textile value chain. The mission is aligned with Textile Vision 2030, which aims to make India a global textile manufacturing hub.

Key Highlights

The mission was announced in the Union Budget 2025–26.
It is a five-year initiative to improve cotton production and productivity.
It aims to support cotton farmers through scientific and technological interventions.
It follows the government’s 5F Vision:
Farm → Fibre → Factory → Fashion → Foreign
The mission seeks to improve:
- Cotton productivity
- Fibre quality
- Farmer income
- Export competitiveness
- Supply of quality cotton for the textile industry
Implemented by: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ministry of Textiles
Supported by ICAR, CSIR, AICRP centres, KVKs and SAUs.

About Mission for Cotton Productivity

Key Objectives

production.
Develop high-yielding, climate-resilient and pest-resistant seeds.
Promote modern practices like HDPS, Closer Spacing and Integrated Cotton Management.
Improve cotton quality through modern ginning and processing.
Strengthen cotton testing and quality certification.
Promote Kasturi Cotton Bharat for branding and traceability.
Encourage cotton waste recycling and natural fibres.

Major Targets

Cotton production: 498 lakh bales
Lint productivity: From 440 kg/ha to 755 kg/ha by 2031
Farmers benefitted: Around 32 lakh
Initial coverage: 140 districts in 14 States
Factories covered: 2,000 ginning/processing factories
Trash reduction target: Less than 2%

Note: Cotton production in India is generally expressed in lakh bales, where 1 bale equals 170 kg of cotton. (1 Bale of Cotton = 170 kg)

Need for the Mission

1. Low Cotton Productivity

India has the largest area under cotton cultivation in the world. It has about 130.61 lakh hectares under cotton, which is around 40% of the global cotton area.

However, India ranks only 39th in cotton productivity, with an average yield of about 447 kg per hectare.

2. Rising Import Dependence

India’s cotton imports increased from USD 518.4 million in 2023–24 to USD 1.04 billion in 2024–25. At the same time, exports declined from USD 729.4 million to USD 660.5 million.

This shows the need to improve domestic cotton production and quality.

3. Pest Infestation

The spread of pink bollworm has affected cotton production. Earlier, Bt cotton helped control pests, but pink bollworm has developed resistance to Bt proteins over time.

4. Stagnation in Biotechnology

India benefited from Bt cotton and Bollgard-II, but no new genetically modified cotton variety has been approved since 2006.

This has affected India’s ability to respond to new pest and climate challenges.

Government Initiatives for Cotton Sector

Mission for Cotton Productivity
Cotton Corporation of India
Minimum Support Price for Cotton
Kasturi Cotton Bharat Programme
Cott-Ally Mobile App
PM MITRA Scheme
Cotton Development Programme under National Food Security Mission

Significance

1. Farmer Income

Higher productivity and better-quality cotton can increase farmers’ income and reduce production losses.

2. Textile Industry Growth

A stable supply of quality cotton is essential for India’s textile and garment industries.

3. Export Competitiveness

Promotion of ELS cotton and branding through Kasturi Cotton India can improve India’s position in global markets.

4. Employment Generation

Cotton supports a large value chain from farming to spinning, weaving, garments and exports. This can generate rural and industrial employment.

5. Import Reduction

Improved domestic production can reduce India’s dependence on imported cotton.

6. Climate Resilience

Climate-smart cotton varieties and better farm practices can help farmers face climate and pest-related risks.

Issues and Challenges

Low yield compared to global leaders
Pink bollworm infestation
Resistance to Bt cotton technology
Slow approval of new biotechnology traits
Dependence on cotton imports
Poor adoption of Extra Long Staple cotton
Water stress and climate risks
Need for better quality testing and traceability

Way Forward

Fast-track research and approval of next-generation cotton technologies.
Promote Bt 3.0, RNAi technology and herbicide-tolerant traits after proper biosafety checks.
Encourage Extra Long Staple cotton through premium MSP and contract farming.
Scale up Integrated Pest Management using pheromone traps, crop rotation and area-wide pest control.
Promote Kasturi Cotton India as a quality and sustainability brand.
Set up cotton quality testing hubs.
Use AI-based pest alerts, remote sensing and blockchain for traceability.
Promote micro-irrigation, organic farming and precision nutrient management.
Encourage cluster-based textile parks under PM MITRA.

UPSC PYQ

The crop is subtropical in nature. A hard frost is injurious to it. It requires at least 210 frost-free days and 50 to 100 centimeters of rainfall for its growth. A light well-drained soil capable of retaining moisture is ideally suited for the cultivation of the crop. Which one of the following is that crop? UPSC CSE Prelims – 2020

1. Cotton
2. Jute
3. Sugarcane
4. Tea

Answer: A

Explanation

Cotton is a tropical and subtropical crop.
It is highly sensitive to frost; therefore, it requires around 210 frost-free days.
It grows well in areas receiving 50 to 100 cm rainfall.
It requires well-drained soil with moisture-retaining capacity.
Black cotton soil of the Deccan region is highly suitable for cotton cultivation.

Additional Information

Cotton is an important fibre crop and a major raw material for the textile industry. It is generally grown as a Kharif crop in India. The Mission for Cotton Productivity is important because India has a large area under cotton cultivation but comparatively low productivity.

CARE MCQ

With reference to the Mission for Cotton Productivity, the Government of India’s 5F Vision refers to which of the following?

1. Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign
2. Farmer to Food to Factory to Finance to Foreign
3. Farm to Fertiliser to Fibre to Fashion to Finance
4. Fibre to Farm to Factory to Fashion to Foreign

Answer: A

Explanation

The Mission for Cotton Productivity aligns with the Government of India’s 5F Vision.
The correct sequence of the 5F Vision is:

Farm → Fibre → Factory → Fashion → Foreign

It represents the complete textile value chain:
- Farm: Cotton cultivation by farmers
- Fibre: Conversion of cotton into fibre
- Factory: Textile manufacturing
- Fashion: Garment and apparel production
- Foreign: Export to global markets

Additional Information

The Mission for Cotton Productivity has an outlay of ₹5,659.22 crore for the period 2026–27 to 2030–31. It aims to improve cotton productivity, develop disease and pest-resistant HYV seeds, reduce contamination in cotton supply, and promote high-quality cotton exports.