New Delhi, Dec 5 (KNN) A cotton production enhancement pilot project initiated this April across 10 states is expected to receive a one-year extension, stretching beyond March 2024, reported Mint.

At a time when all-India cotton production has been declining, cotton production in these states is anticipated to surge between 20-25 per cent.

“Adoption of best agronomy practices, quality seeds and high-density planting systems have contributed to this growth,” an official aware of the matter told Mint.

The official said that the special project on cotton production enhancement during 2023-24 was started in April 2023 till March 2024, engaging 15,000 farmers in 10 states, and the final outcome data will be analysed in January by Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR).

The ongoing pilot project encompasses the 10 cotton-growing states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

The anticipated boost in production from the pilot could help India strengthen its cotton exports ecosystem and improve the country’s standing in the global cotton export markets, where it previously faced competition from other cotton-exporting countries such as Bangladesh and Vietnam.

(KNN Bureau)