The Hindu : Front Page : Call for concerted effort to promote cultivation of ELS cotton

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 01, 2005

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Call for concerted effort to promote cultivation of ELS cotton

M. Soundariya Preetha

`With changing fashion and growing demand, the requirement is set to increase'

COIMBATORE: A meeting of the cotton seed manufacturers, cotton traders and textile mill owners held here recently saw almost all the speakers talk of `extra long staple' (ELS) cotton and the imperative need to promote cultivation of this variety in the country.

The issue was discussed during the last few months and everybody concerned stressed the need for a joint effort in this direction.

The variety is used to spin "superfine yarn" (70s to 140s count) and some textile mills here have dedicated facilities to make only these counts. The yarn is used for producing branded shirts and trousers, dresses, bed sheets and high-end made-ups.

"Nearly 75 per cent of cotton needed for superfine yarn that is exported is purchased from other countries," points out Vijay Venkataswamy, Chairman of Southern India Mills Association (SIMA).

Textile mills in the country need annually about 10 lakh bales of ELS cotton. But just about 1.5 lakh bales is raised indigenously. The rest is imported from Egypt, the U.S. and other countries.

With changing fashion and growing demand for superfine counts, the requirement of ELS cotton is set to increase. "What is worrying is that we need to import nearly 7.5 lakh bales every year and our mills pay nearly 30 per cent higher price for the imported cotton compared to the domestic ELS cotton," says K.N. Viswanathan, Secretary of South India Cotton Association.

Subsidy

He explains that the U.S. gives subsidy to its growers of ELS varieties and there is pressure on the U.S. to remove this subsidy. As and when it is removed, prices will firm up. It could lead to 25 to 30 per cent hike in market price for imported ELS cotton.

"We need cost-effective, home grown variety that will meet the quality parameters required by mills," he says.

According to Mr. Venkataswamy, rejuvenating the existing ELS varieties in the country to meet these parameters will take time. "Hence, the Government has to speed up trial approvals for ELS varieties developed by seed producers."

Since this variety can be cultivated only in Karnataka and some parts of Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh, the SICA, SIMA and related associations can plan awareness programmes for ELS cotton consumers on the "developing situation", he says.

They will also hold motivation programme for farmers to make them know more about the market for this variety. A joint effort will be taken towards development of more varieties of ELS cotton with the required parameters.

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