Smart Growth: High-Quality Cotton Achieved Through Uniform Varieties
2024-04-30 12:35:33
Intelligent Development: Consistent Varieties Lead to Superior Cotton Quality
In the Nagpur district, under the Maharashtra government's Smart Cotton Project, a group of farmers has successfully cultivated high-quality cotton using a uniform variety, which boasts a higher lint percentage and cleaner bolls. This achievement involved about 1,000 farmers from five different groups across the state, emphasizing the shift from traditional practices where varying cotton varieties led to inconsistent product characteristics.
Arvind Uprikar, Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture and nodal officer for the district, highlighted the exceptional quality of the cotton produced. "The cotton bales from all five groups are of a super grade variety with a staple length of 30-31 MM. This makes them highly desirable to spinners and bale buyers due to their high lint percentage and cleanliness," Uprikar stated.
Now in its second year, the project has expanded to include 95 new farmers from the talukas of Katol, Narkhed, Nagpur, Saoner, and Hingna. Initially, 1,800 farmers across 60 villages were provided with seeds for long-staple, high-lint cotton on a pilot basis, accompanied by the distribution of 3,600 cotton picking bags.
A comprehensive three-day training was conducted by CIRCOT Nagpur for the farmers, focusing on efficient pre-picking techniques to minimize trash and ensuring clean cotton boll collection, with a designated ginning unit to process the bales.
Jayesh Mahajan, the state's nodal officer for post-harvest under the Smart Cotton Project, remarked on the project's growth from 2,900 to 5,500 bales, with participation increasing from 500 to 900 farmers. "We've also engaged with over 100,000 farmers statewide," he added. Mahajan emphasized the project's goal to enhance lint percentage and variety uniformity for mass production under similar ecological conditions. "Improving the farmers’ storage practices is crucial as poor habits have previously marred the reputation of Indian cotton. Our focus is on maintaining quality throughout processing to ensure farmers receive a fair price," he explained.
The project operates on a push and pull mechanism, with the government certifying quality to attract buyers, while the introduction of e-auctioning helps in fair price discovery and protection against exploitation.
Mahajan also noted the economic strategy behind timely processing, "Converting lint into bales promptly after seed sales maximizes profits, especially as cotton's value decreases over time."
This initiative not only promises improved cotton quality but also supports sustainable agricultural practices and economic growth for farmers in Maharashtra.
