Q&A: Terry P Townsend, International Cotton Advisory Committee

'India can overtake China in cotton output'

India has emerged as a major player in the cotton sector and may overtake China in the next decade in output, if the government maintains policy consistency and effectively communicates research results to small growers, Terry P Townsend, executive director of the International Cotton Advisory Committee, tells Sanjay Jog. Edited excerpts:

India continues to have low cotton yield. How can it compete with high-yield cotton growing countries?
India has made tremendous progress in the past decade in reducing contamination and improving the quality of its cotton. The trend needs to continue. I think India will overtake China in the next decade. The biggest concern in the world cotton industry is with the interventionist government policies, which are highly damaging to the efficiency of not only the Indian cotton sector but the world cotton industry. India's decision to curb cotton exports during the last season was quite damaging. However, the Government of India has lifted that ban and we hope nothing of that will repeat.

 

India's yield is still well below potential but with the given technology, India has a potential to raise yield from 500 kg per hectare to 800 kg per ha in a decade. The keys are better insect control, weed management, reducing excess use of fertilizer and insecticides and better application of innovative technologies. The area under cotton in India is larger than in any other country. The yield increase to 800 kg per ha will overtake China.

At the global level, India and Africa are expected to report growth in production. US production is stagnating. India has increased its production from two million tonnes in 2001 to six mt in 2011 and it will increase to eight mt in a decade. India can look at Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam markets.

What is needed to reach out to farmers?
India has got the largest research programme for cotton in the world. The most important area for improvement is extension, not research. Extension is the communication of research results to farmers. India is handicapped by having 100 different languages and tens of millions of households. To raise yields, research is crucial but extension is necessary. The International Cotton Advisory Committee provides examples of best practices that can be emulated. India can certainly emulate the extension programmes of Pakistan, Argentina and Vietnam. Investment is not a problem but the challenge for India is targetted communication with millions of smallholders.

India is the second largest exporter; a decade ago, it was a net importer. India is expected to export 1.4 mt during August 2011-July 2012, against 1.1 mt during the corresponding period of last year. The textile industry continues to grow. The trend is towards increase in production of yarn and less production of fabric. Worldwide, the bio fuel mandate has changed the global agriculture scene and a large portion of land is now being used for grain production than for cotton.

Has Bt cotton played a key role in improving India's production?
It has. Bt cotton has been successfully managed in India and it is a subset of biotechnology. Organic cotton production is a public relations gimmick; it is dead.