Govt nod to Rs 5,659 cr for five-year mission to increase cotton yield

What Happened

• The Union Cabinet approved ₹5,659.22 crore for the Mission for Cotton Productivity (2026-27 to 2030-31), a five-year targeted programme to reverse stagnation in India's cotton yields and position the country as a globally competitive cotton and textile producer by 2030-31.
• The mission aims to raise domestic cotton production from the current 29.1 million bales to approximately 49.8 million bales — a 71% increase — by the end of the mission period, primarily by improving per-hectare lint productivity.
• Target lint productivity: increase from approximately 440 kg per hectare currently to 755 kg per hectare by 2030-31, effectively close to doubling yield per unit area.
• Approximately 32 lakh cotton farmers are expected to benefit directly from the mission.
• Implementation is a joint mandate of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the Ministry of Textiles, involving 10 ICAR institutes, one CSIR institute, and 10 centres of the All-India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Cotton across major cotton-growing states.
• The mission aligns with the government's 5F vision — Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign — linking agricultural production to textile manufacturing and export competitiveness.

Static Topic Bridges

Minimum Support Price (MSP) and Cotton — CACP's Role

The government fixes the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for seed cotton (kapas) annually, based on recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). The CACP uses a cost-plus formula: MSP is set at not less than 1.5 times the cost of production (A2+FL — actual paid-out costs plus imputed value of family labour). Cotton has two MSP categories: Medium Staple and Long Staple.

For the 2024-25 cotton season, MSP for Medium Staple Cotton was ₹7,121/quintal and for Long Staple Cotton ₹7,521/quintal. Cotton MSP procurement is operated through the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) and NAFED as nodal agencies under price support operations.

India's Cotton Sector — Structural Challenges

India is the world's largest cotton-growing country by area and one of the top producers globally, yet its yield per hectare (approximately 440 kg lint/ha) significantly lags behind global leaders: China (~1,900 kg/ha), Australia (~2,000 kg/ha), and Brazil (~1,700 kg/ha). This yield gap has three primary causes: (a) variety and seed quality — dominance of Bt cotton with declining pest resistance and limited hybrid improvement; (b) agronomic practices — suboptimal fertilisation, irrigation, and pest management; and (c) climate vulnerability — cotton is highly susceptible to bollworm infestations, irregular rainfall, and temperature extremes.

Bt cotton, introduced commercially in India in 2002, initially caused a yield revolution (productivity jumped from ~300 to ~560 kg/ha by 2013-14), but yields have plateaued and even declined in recent years as pink bollworm resistance to Bt toxins has developed. The Mission's focus on climate-resilient, pest-resistant, and high-yielding varieties addresses this directly.

5F Vision and PM MITRA Parks — Textile Value Chain Integration

The 5F vision (Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign) is the government's integrated framework for the textile sector, linking agricultural cotton production with ginning, spinning, weaving, garment manufacturing, and export. This end-to-end linkage is the conceptual basis for the Mission for Cotton Productivity — improving farm-level productivity directly supports downstream textile competitiveness.

PM MITRA (Prime Minister Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel Parks) — announced in 2021-22 — complements the production-side intervention. Seven PM MITRA parks are being set up to provide integrated infrastructure for textile manufacturing, leveraging economies of scale and plug-and-play facilities.

Agricultural Research Infrastructure — ICAR and AICRP Framework

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture, is the apex body for coordinating agricultural research, education, and extension in India. ICAR operates through a network of national institutes, national bureaux, project directorates, and All-India Coordinated Research Projects (AICRPs).

AICRPs are multi-location testing programmes where a single research project is implemented simultaneously across multiple agro-climatic zones — ensuring that varieties and practices tested are adapted to diverse growing conditions. AICRP on Cotton coordinates cotton research across major producing states.

Key Facts & Data

• Mission name: Mission for Cotton Productivity
• Duration: FY2026-27 to FY2030-31 (5 years)
• Total outlay: ₹5,659.22 crore
• Cabinet approval date: May 5, 2026
• Target production: 498 lakh bales by 2031 (from ~291 lakh bales)
• Target productivity: 755 kg lint/hectare by 2031 (from ~440 kg/ha currently)
• Beneficiary farmers: approximately 32 lakh
• Domestic demand projection 2030-31: 450 lakh bales
• Implementing ministries: Agriculture & Farmers Welfare + Textiles
• Participating institutions: 10 ICAR institutes, 1 CSIR institute, 10 AICRP Cotton centres
• India's cotton area (2023-24): ~114.47 lakh hectares
• India's cotton production (2023-24): ~325.22 lakh bales (~25% of global output)
• MSP for Cotton 2024-25: Medium Staple ₹7,121/quintal; Long Staple ₹7,521/quintal
• Farmers supported by cotton sector (direct + indirect): approximately 400–500 lakh persons