Rs 163 Crore For Cotton Sector Modernisation

Union textile ministry has prepared a scheme to modernize ginning and pressing factories of the country as well as to develop market yards in some states.

A fund of Rs 130 crores has been allocated for this. Union textile minister Kashiram Rana has signed Memorandum of Associations (MoUs) recently with six market yards which are Bavada, Dhandhuka, Vijapur, Limadi, Bodeli and Kukarwada yards.

Rana said that the purpose of the scheme is to increase yield of cotton and to minimize contamination in cotton. The scheme envisages development of 94 market yards of the country and the outlay estimated for the same is Rs.163 crore.

Of these, 26 yards will be developed in Gujarat. Estimated expenditure on this would be Rs.140 crores of which Rs 20.5 crores would be provided by the Technology Mission on Cotton (TMC) and the balance would be funded by Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC).

M B Lal,advisor to TMC, said that in the current year development of 44 market yards across the country would be taken up, of which 11 would be in Gujarat.

He added that TMC, for the purpose of modernisation of ginning-pressing factories and to reduce contamination in cotton, will provide financial assistance of Rs.238 crores for 196 factories in the country, out of which 83 factories are located in Gujarat.

He mentioned that average cotton yield in the country is mere 300 grams per hectre against of 550 grams in the world. Our target is to reach at the global level by the end of 10th five-year plan. To protect the cotton farmers, import duty on cotton import has been increased, he added.

To modernise ginning-pressing factories in Gujarat, an expense of Rs 90 crores has been estimated, of it Rs 70 crores would be funded by TMC.