Coimbatore: The Office of the Textile Commissioner has increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Extra Long Staple (ELS) cotton by about Rs. 150 a quintal this year.

The Commissioner, J. N. Singh, said this would "improve farmers' confidence and encourage them to cultivate ELS cotton."

For instance, the MSP for DCH-32 grown in South India was Rs. 2,200 a quintal last year and now it was increased to Rs. 2,430.

The Cotton Corporation of India would step in if the prices went below the MSP and the hike had given a boost to farmers, he said.

Production

The country produced about 2.5 lakh bales of ELS variety as against the need of seven lakh to eight lakh bales. The rest was imported.

This year the production was expected to go up to about four lakh bales. This variety of cotton was used to make fine counts of yarn.

Speaking at a meeting here on ELS cotton recently, he suggested creation of a sub-committee within the Mini Mission I and II of the Technology Mission on Cotton.

Further, "public private partnership should be promoted through integrated cotton cultivation, contract farming and land leasing arrangement to allow increased technology transfer, capital inflow and assured market for ELS crop."

Depending on the requirement of textile mills, cultivation of this variety of cotton should be promoted in South and Central Zones.

Monitoring

The fibre quality parameters should be monitored at every stage of seed multiplication, he said. The industry should also give a minimum price guarantee for the purchase of Indian ELS varieties, he suggested. This would encourage farmers to increase ELS cultivation.

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