Lok Sabha Question No. 347 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-18
Subject: Centre of Excellence for Cotton
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: JAYSHREEBEN  PATEL

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 347 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18/07/2017

## CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR COTTON

## 347. SHRIMATI JAYSHREEBEN PATEL:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f"k vkSj fdlku dY;k.k ea=h be pleased to state:

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

(b) whether  it  is  also  a  fact  that  these  two  institutes  cannot  serve  as  a  Centre  of Excellence for Cotton, if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether Gujarat, which is producing 30 per cent of the total production of cotton in India  and  generating  rural  employment  is  the  right  place  for  setting  up  of  Centre  of Excellence for Cotton;

(d) if so, whether a proposal forwarded to the Union Government for establishment of Centre  of  Excellence  for  Cotton  in  Gujarat  in  2001  is  still  pending  for  Government's approval and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the time by which and the location where this Centre is going to be established in Gujarat?

## A N S W E R

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f'k vkSj fdlku dY;k.k ea=ky; esa jkT; ea=h

## (SHRI SUDARSHAN BHAGAT)

(a) ICAR- Central Institute for Cotton Research in 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,  CICR  Regional  Station,  Sirsa,  and  AICRP  on  Cotton, Coimbatore are doing excellent work to develop needful technologies for the countries 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): For  establishment  of  a  regional  research  station  for  cotton  in  Gujarat budgetary provision is being made in the EFC of ICAR-CICR, Nagpur. It will be initiated in  the  campus  of  the  ICAR-Directorate  of  Groundnut  Research,  Junagadh  and  the experimentation on cotton will start in the next crop season.

However, given the space limitation of ICAR-DGR, Junagadh, the State Government  of  Gujarat  is  being  approached  for  about  50  ha  of  land  at  an  appropriate site/cotton area for making the Centre fully functional.

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