The Cotton Corporation of India Ltd.

For increasing cotton production, productivity and improving the quality of cotton, vis-à-vis increase the income of cotton growers and ensuing abundant supply of quality cotton to the Textile Mills, the Corporation had been undertaking various developmental activities in the form of Extension Activities. With the launching of Technology Mission on Cotton (TMC) in February 2000, many of these activities have been covered under Mini Mission I & II of the TMC. Still the Corporation continues with some of the Developmental Activities like Cotton Crop Surveillance, Integrated Pest Management and Integrated Cotton Cultivation (Contract Farming) to supplement the efforts of the Government of India and the State Agriculture Departments in various cotton growing States..

(1) FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES

Encouraged by the results obtained in the field of oilseeds by adopting a mission mode approach during the 1990s and with a view to improve the quality of cotton, increase per hectare productivity, increase the income of cotton growers by reducing the cost of cultivation, to improve the processing facilities etc., the Government of India has launched TECHNOLOGY MISSION ON COTTON in February 2000 with Four Mini Missions for achieving the above objects. The broad objectives of the four Mini Missions are as under:

Mini Mission I | Mini Mission II | Mini Mission III | Mini Mission IV

I. Mini Mission I

With the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) as the Nodal Agency, this Mini Mission has the following objectives:

Development of short duration, high yielding, disease and pest resistant varieties/hybrids with appropriate fibre parameters to meet the need of the textile industry.

Development of integrated water and nutrient management practices for cotton and cotton based cropping system.

Development and validation of Integrated Pest Management Technology for different cotton growing areas of India to improve yield and reduce the cost of cultivation to ensure better net return to the cotton growers.

The following organizations will be implementing Mini Mission I under the overall supervision of Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Director General, ICAR, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India. The Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), Nagpur, Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (CIRCOT), Mumbai, National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, Nagpur and other ICAR Research Institutes, as well as research centres of State Agricultural Universities under All India Coordinated Cotton Improvement Project (AICCIP).

II. Mini Mission II

With the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operation as the Nodal Agency, this Mini Mission has the following objectives:

Technology Transfer through demonstration and training.
Supply of delinted certified seed by setting up of delinting units.
Accelerating Integrated Pest Management activities.
Providing adequate and timely information input to the farmers periodically.

This will be implemented by the Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture through State Agriculture Department of cotton growing States in the country under Intensive Cotton Development Programme (ICDP) under the overall supervision of Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Cooperation.

III. Mini Mission III

The Ministry of Textiles is the Nodal Agency for this Mini Mission. It has the following objectives:
Improvement of marketing infrastructure through setting up new market yards and activation/improvement of existing market yards.
Implementing Agencies
The programme under these two Mini Missions will be implemented by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India through the Cotton Corporation of India Ltd. and the help of other field agencies shall also be taken whenever required. The Secretary, Government of India, Ministry of Textiles will be overall Incharge of Mini Mission III.

Format of Application Form for Market Yards

Components of an Ideal Market Yard

Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU)

IV. Mini Mission IV

The Ministry of Textiles is also the Nodal Agency for this Mini Mission. The objectives are as under:

Modernization and technological upgradation of existing ginning and pressing factories so as to improve the processing of cotton.
The programme under these two Mini Missions will be implemented by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India through the Cotton Corporation of India Ltd. and the help of other field agencies shall also be taken whenever required. The Secretary, Government of India, Ministry of Textiles will be overall Incharge of Mini Mission IV.