Latest news with #ICAR-CentralInstituteforResearchonCottonTechnology
News18
2 days ago
- Business
- News18
Naturally coloured cotton revival hit by funding crunch, low yields
Agency: PTI New Delhi, Jul 20 (PTI) India's naturally coloured cotton, which thrived commercially in the 1940s, is struggling to stage a comeback despite rising global demand for sustainable textiles and decades of government's efforts in research. The specialty crop is currently grown on just 200 acres across Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, fetching Rs 240 per kg, 50 per cent more than regular cotton at Rs 160 per kg. However, farmers are hesitant to expand cultivation due to significantly lower yields. 'The productivity of light brown cotton is very low at 1.5-2 quintals per acre, compared to 6-7 quintals per acre for normal cotton. This discourages farmers from expanding the area under this crop," Ashok Kumar, Principal Scientist at ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (CIRCOT), told PTI. Annual production from these limited acres stands at merely 330 quintals, underscoring the challenge facing this specialty crop that could potentially transform India's textile sustainability profile. ICAR-CIRCOT is currently focusing on light brown coloured cotton. Coloured cotton has ancient roots in Indian agriculture, with cultivation dating back to 2500 BC. Before independence, red, khaki and brown varieties of Cocanada 1 and 2 were grown commercially in Rayalseema, Andhra Pradesh, with exports to Japan. Traditional varieties were also cultivated in Assam and Karnataka's Kumta region. However, the Green Revolution's emphasis on high-yielding white cotton varieties pushed coloured cotton to the sidelines. The crop's inherent limitations – fewer bolls, lower weight, poor fibre strength, short staple length and colour variations – made it economically unviable for large-scale cultivation. Indian agricultural institutions have developed improved varieties, including DDCC-1, DDB-12, DMB-225, and DGC-78 by the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad. The Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur, created Vaidehi-95, considered the most prominent among 4-5 available varieties. Between 2015-19, ICAR-CIRCOT processed 17 quintals in demonstration batches, producing 9,000 metres of fabric, over 2,000 jackets and 3,000 handkerchiefs, proving commercial viability. The environmental benefits are significant. Traditional cotton dyeing requires approximately 150 litres of water per metre of fabric, while naturally coloured cotton eliminates this requirement, potentially reducing toxic waste disposal costs by up to 50 per cent. 'Naturally coloured cotton has huge export potential. More government support is required to enhance production and value addition," Kumar said. Despite premium pricing and environmental advantages, expansion faces hurdles including lack of seed systems, pest vulnerability, and high pesticide requirements typical of cotton cultivation. 'Nobody develops varieties as production is low and the market is not visible. Even textile mills are not ready to procure small quantities," Kumar explained. The global market shows promise with growing demand from environmentally conscious brands, particularly in Europe, USA and Japan. Australia and China are investing heavily in research using traditional breeding and genetic engineering. For commercial viability, coordinated efforts are needed across the value chain '� from developing farmer-friendly varieties to creating processing infrastructure and establishing market linkages with textile manufacturers committed to sustainable practices. PTI LUX ANU ANU view comments First Published: July 20, 2025, 14:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Economic Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Naturally coloured cotton revival hit by funding crunch, low yields
India's naturally coloured cotton, which thrived commercially in the 1940s, is struggling to stage a comeback despite rising global demand for sustainable textiles and decades of government's efforts in research. The specialty crop is currently grown on just 200 acres across Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, fetching Rs 240 per kg, 50 per cent more than regular cotton at Rs 160 per kg. However, farmers are hesitant to expand cultivation due to significantly lower yields. "The productivity of light brown cotton is very low at 1.5-2 quintals per acre, compared to 6-7 quintals per acre for normal cotton. This discourages farmers from expanding the area under this crop," Ashok Kumar, Principal Scientist at ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (CIRCOT), told PTI. Annual production from these limited acres stands at merely 330 quintals, underscoring the challenge facing this specialty crop that could potentially transform India's textile sustainability profile. ICAR-CIRCOT is currently focusing on light brown coloured cotton. Coloured cotton has ancient roots in Indian agriculture, with cultivation dating back to 2500 BC. Before independence, red, khaki and brown varieties of Cocanada 1 and 2 were grown commercially in Rayalseema, Andhra Pradesh, with exports to Japan. Traditional varieties were also cultivated in Assam and Karnataka's Kumta region. However, the Green Revolution's emphasis on high-yielding white cotton varieties pushed coloured cotton to the sidelines. The crop's inherent limitations - fewer bolls, lower weight, poor fibre strength, short staple length and colour variations - made it economically unviable for large-scale cultivation. Indian agricultural institutions have developed improved varieties, including DDCC-1, DDB-12, DMB-225, and DGC-78 by the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad. The Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur, created Vaidehi-95, considered the most prominent among 4-5 available varieties. Between 2015-19, ICAR-CIRCOT processed 17 quintals in demonstration batches, producing 9,000 metres of fabric, over 2,000 jackets and 3,000 handkerchiefs, proving commercial viability. The environmental benefits are significant. Traditional cotton dyeing requires approximately 150 litres of water per metre of fabric, while naturally coloured cotton eliminates this requirement, potentially reducing toxic waste disposal costs by up to 50 per cent. "Naturally coloured cotton has huge export potential. More government support is required to enhance production and value addition," Kumar said. Despite premium pricing and environmental advantages, expansion faces hurdles including lack of seed systems, pest vulnerability, and high pesticide requirements typical of cotton cultivation. "Nobody develops varieties as production is low and the market is not visible. Even textile mills are not ready to procure small quantities," Kumar explained. The global market shows promise with growing demand from environmentally conscious brands, particularly in Europe, USA and Japan. Australia and China are investing heavily in research using traditional breeding and genetic engineering. For commercial viability, coordinated efforts are needed across the value chain ' from developing farmer-friendly varieties to creating processing infrastructure and establishing market linkages with textile manufacturers committed to sustainable practices.
Mint
2 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Naturally coloured cotton revival hit by funding crunch, low yields
New Delhi, Jul 20 (PTI) India's naturally coloured cotton, which thrived commercially in the 1940s, is struggling to stage a comeback despite rising global demand for sustainable textiles and decades of government's efforts in research. The specialty crop is currently grown on just 200 acres across Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, fetching ₹ 240 per kg, 50 per cent more than regular cotton at ₹ 160 per kg. However, farmers are hesitant to expand cultivation due to significantly lower yields. "The productivity of light brown cotton is very low at 1.5-2 quintals per acre, compared to 6-7 quintals per acre for normal cotton. This discourages farmers from expanding the area under this crop," Ashok Kumar, Principal Scientist at ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (CIRCOT), told PTI. Annual production from these limited acres stands at merely 330 quintals, underscoring the challenge facing this specialty crop that could potentially transform India's textile sustainability profile. ICAR-CIRCOT is currently focusing on light brown coloured cotton. Coloured cotton has ancient roots in Indian agriculture, with cultivation dating back to 2500 BC. Before independence, red, khaki and brown varieties of Cocanada 1 and 2 were grown commercially in Rayalseema, Andhra Pradesh, with exports to Japan. Traditional varieties were also cultivated in Assam and Karnataka's Kumta region. However, the Green Revolution's emphasis on high-yielding white cotton varieties pushed coloured cotton to the sidelines. The crop's inherent limitations - fewer bolls, lower weight, poor fibre strength, short staple length and colour variations - made it economically unviable for large-scale cultivation. Indian agricultural institutions have developed improved varieties, including DDCC-1, DDB-12, DMB-225, and DGC-78 by the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad. The Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur, created Vaidehi-95, considered the most prominent among 4-5 available varieties. Between 2015-19, ICAR-CIRCOT processed 17 quintals in demonstration batches, producing 9,000 metres of fabric, over 2,000 jackets and 3,000 handkerchiefs, proving commercial viability. The environmental benefits are significant. Traditional cotton dyeing requires approximately 150 litres of water per metre of fabric, while naturally coloured cotton eliminates this requirement, potentially reducing toxic waste disposal costs by up to 50 per cent. "Naturally coloured cotton has huge export potential. More government support is required to enhance production and value addition," Kumar said. Despite premium pricing and environmental advantages, expansion faces hurdles including lack of seed systems, pest vulnerability, and high pesticide requirements typical of cotton cultivation. "Nobody develops varieties as production is low and the market is not visible. Even textile mills are not ready to procure small quantities," Kumar explained. The global market shows promise with growing demand from environmentally conscious brands, particularly in Europe, USA and Japan. Australia and China are investing heavily in research using traditional breeding and genetic engineering. For commercial viability, coordinated efforts are needed across the value chain ' from developing farmer-friendly varieties to creating processing infrastructure and establishing market linkages with textile manufacturers committed to sustainable practices.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
CIRCOT-BSIL develop revolutionary pre-grooved rollers technology
Nagpur: In a breakthrough for India's cotton sector, the ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (CIRCOT) in Mumbai, in collaboration with M/s Bajaj Steel Industries Limited (BSIL) in Nagpur, developed an innovative pre-grooved ginning roller technology. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This advancement, spearheaded by scientists Dr Sheshrao Kautkar, Dr SK Shukla, Dr VG Arude, and Er DU Patil, promises to revolutionise , a critical process in India's that supports over 45 million stakeholders. Cotton ginning involves separating lint from seeds using machines called gins, with double roller (DR) gins being the most common in India. Traditionally, DR gins rely on chrome leather rollers with shallow 2 mm grooves that wear down due to friction during high-pressure operations at 100rpm. This causes fibre slippage, reducing and requiring labour-intensive re-grooving every 2–3 days, which involves three workers and 20–30 minutes per machine, increasing downtime and costs. The pre-grooved rollers address these challenges with spiral grooves up to 25mm deep, created by compressing 100–110 chrome leather washers onto a metallic shaft and precision-grooving them. Compatible with various gin models, including single and DR gins, these rollers maintain consistent surface roughness, eliminating the need for frequent re-grooving. This reduces labour and energy costs by 10%, minimises downtime, and boosts lint output without compromising fibre quality parameters like seed cuts, neps, or fibre length. The technology proved its worth in commercial settings, with 1,000 units installed across 40 ginning mills in Maharashtra. Shree Krishna Cotton Company in Malegaon, Nagpur, a pioneer in adopting this technology, operates 56 DR gins entirely on pre-grooved rollers. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Proprietors Narendra and Gaurav Chandak report a lint output increase from 63.0 kg/hour/gin to 70.0 kg/hour/gin, raising plant capacity from 20.5 to 23 bales/hour. This translates to an additional 2.5 bales/hour, saving Rs 3,000/hour at Rs 1,200 per bale. The technology also cuts energy and labour costs by 10%. With 5,000 ginning factories and 120,000 DR gins in India, the potential for scaling this technology is immense. Widespread adoption could increase bale production by 10%, from 325 lakh to 357.5 lakh bales annually, saving Rs 400 crore through a Rs 120 per bale cost reduction. The investment for manufacturing 240,000 rollers at Rs 500 each is a modest Rs 12 crore. Recognised for its impact, the technology received an award from Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union minister for agriculture, on July 16, 2024, during ICAR's 96th Foundation Day in New Delhi. Dr Himanshu Pathak, director general of ICAR, also visited Shree Krishna Cotton Company to witness its success. This innovation marks a significant step toward enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, and alleviating labour challenges in India's cotton ginning industry.
