Question : Centre of Excellence for Cotton

(a) whether the Central Institute for Cotton Research in Nagpur and the All India Coordinated Cotton Improvement Project in Coimbatore of ICAR are providing financial and technical support and conducting basic strategic applied research through Navsari Agriculture University and Junagarh Agricultural University and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether it is a fact that these two institutes cannot serve as “Centre of excellence for cotton” and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether Gujarat, which is producing 30 per cent of the total production of cotton in the country and generating rural employment is the right place for this purpose and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether a proposal forwarded to the Union Government in 2001 for establishment of “Centre of Excellence for Cotton” in Gujarat is still pending for approval and if so, the action taken in this regard, so far; and

(e) the place and time by which this Centre is likely to be established in Gujarat?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
(SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

(a) ICAR- Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), Nagpur and All India Coordinated Cotton Research Project in Coimbatore of ICAR are providing financial and technical support to Navsari Agriculture University and Junagadh Agriculture University for conducting basic, strategic & applied research on cotton. Under different programmes a total of Rs.667.29 lakhs and 316.41 lakhs financial assistance have been given for cotton research under XII five year plan to the Navsari Agriculture University, Navsari and Junagadh Agriculture University, Junagadh, respectively.

(b) ICAR-CICR, Nagpur and All India Coordinated Cotton Improvement Project in Coimbatore are doing excellent work to develop needful technologies for cotton in the country in collaboration with State Agricultural Universities.

(c) Gujarat is a leading state in cotton production in the country. It needs strengthening; the establishment of a regional research station will meet the regional demand.

(d) & (e): ICAR has decided for establishment of Regional Research Station on cotton for strengthening the cotton cultivation in Gujarat. ICAR has initiated Regional Research Station in the campus of ICAR-Directorate of Groundnut Research (DGR), Junagadh, Gujarat. The provision of funds has been made in the EFC 2017-18 to 2019-20 of ICAR-CICR, Nagpur.

However, due to space limitation of ICAR-DGR, Junagadh, State Government of Gujarat is approached for 100 acre of suitable land in cotton growing area of the State for establishing the Regional Research Station on Cotton for the benefit of farmers of Gujarat.

Experimentation on cotton will be initiated in this crop season - 2018

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