High input costs hampering textile production

RAJYA SABHA

There is a marginal decline in the production of textile items due to various external and internal factors including high input costs.

The Government has taken following steps to increase the yield and to enhance the quality of cotton: -

i) The Government had launched Technology Mission on Cotton (TMC) in February 2000 to increase the production, productivity and quality of cotton fibre in a mission mode. The Mission has achieved success in reducing the contamination and enhancing the quality to the international standard through the upgradation of cotton market yards and modernization of ginning and pressing factories.

ii) Since 2003-04, the Government had commercially released Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt.) cotton, which is pest resistant, to improve the cotton yield and quality. This new application of technologies i.e. biotechnology has resulted in more cotton produced from lands already in production, more efficient use of water resources and less use of farm chemicals.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Textiles, Shri E.V.K.S. Elangovan in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha yesterday.

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NSK/SL