Lok Sabha Question No. 315 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-04-26
Subject: Cotton Production
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: CHANDRAKANT RAGHUNATH PATIL, RAKSHA NIKHIL KHADSE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 315

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 26 TH  APRIL, 2016

## COTTON PRODUCTION

315.    SHRI C.R. PATIL: SHRIMATI RAKSHATAI KHADSE:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the acreage and production of cotton has increased in the country, if so, the details thereof along with the funds allocated for promotion of cotton cultivation and production in the country during the last three years and the current year, State-wise;
- (b) whether the Government has provided any technological, financial, institutional assistance  to  the  Central  Institute  for  Cotton  Research,  Nagpur  and  All  India  Coordinated Cotton  Improvement  Project,  Coimbatore  to  conduct  basic  strategic  applied  research  and establish Centre for Cotton Excellence in Cotton growing States during the said period, if so, the details thereof along with the details regarding Centres for Cotton Excellence established/likely to be established in the country and justification for selection of the locations;
- (c) whether the Government has fixed any area limit for providing compensation for the loss of cotton crop on account of natural calamities in the country, if so, the details thereof and the corrective steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to safeguard the cotton farmers in the country;
- (d) the efforts of the Union Government to introduce good cotton growing practices in the country along with the vision for increasing cotton production in the country; and
- (e) the details of technological, financial and institutional help provided to the States by the Union Government for increasing cotton production in the country?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्राऱय में राज्य मंत्री (SHRI  MOHANBHAI  KUNDARIYA)

- (a): The  area  &  production  of  cotton  in  the  country  from  2013-14  to  2015-16  is  as under:-

| Year     |   Area (Lakh ha) |   Production (Lakh tones) |
|----------|------------------|---------------------------|
| 2013-14  |           119.6  |                    359.02 |
| 2014-15  |           128.19 |                    348.05 |
| 2015-16* |           118.59 |                    306.92 |

Department  of  Agriculture  Cooperation  and  Farmers  Welfare  promotes  cotton cultivation  under  National  Food  Security  Mission  in  15  major  cotton  growing  States  viz., Andhra  Pradesh,  Assam,  Gujarat,  Haryana,  Karnataka,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh & West Bengal from 2014-15 onwards.  The State-wise allocation of funds for cotton from 2014-15 to 201617 is at Annexure-I.

(b):        Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR)  has  given  technical  &  financial assistance  to  Central  Institute  for  Cotton  Research  (CICR),  All  India  Coordinated  Cotton Improvement Project (AICCIP) on Cotton and Technology Mission on Cotton (TMC) during 2013-14, 2014-15 & 2015-16 as under:-

|         |         | (Rs. In lakhs)   | (Rs. In lakhs)   |
|---------|---------|------------------|------------------|
| Schemes | 2013-14 | 2014-15          | 2015-16          |
| CICR    | 198.23  | 219.57           | 504.51           |
| AICCIP  | 1209.70 | 1150.00          | 1519.99          |
| TMC     | 376.84  | 379.98           | 260.00           |

There  is  no  proposal  from  ICAR-CICR/AICCIP  to  establish  'Centre  of  Excellence'  for cotton.

(c): Government  provides  input  subsidy  to  the  farmers  who  suffer  crop  loss  due  to natural  calamities  from  State  Disaster  Response  Fund  (SDRF)  and  Natural  Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).  Under SDRF/NDRF, input subsidy is provided in cases where crop loss is 33% or more.  As per norms, assistance is given @ Rs. 6800/- per hectare in the rainfed areas restricted to sown area and Rs. 13500/- per hectare in assured irrigated areas subject to minimum assistance not less than Rs. 1000 and restricted to sown areas for the farmers having land holding less than 2 ha.  Above assistance is also given to the farmers having land holding more than 2 ha subject to a ceiling 2 ha per farmer.

(d) & (e): In  order  to  transfer  latest  technologies  &  best  practices  to  cotton  growers, State  Department  of  Agriculture,  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR),  State Agriculture  Universities  (SAUs),  Krishi  Vigyan  Kendras    (KVKs)  conduct    Front  Line Demonstration  (FLD)  on  Integrated  Crop  Management  (ICM),  Desi  Cotton,  Extra  Long Staple Cotton, High Density Planting System, Intercropping, Insecticide Resistant Management  for  increasing  cotton  production  under  National  Food  Security  Mission (NFSM).    Besides,  the  State  support  cotton  cultivation  under  Rashtriya  Krishi  Vigyan Yojana (RKVY).

ICAR-Central Institute for Cotton Research has a national network called E-KAPAS of around 2 lakh cotton farmers across the country to whom weekly voice mail advisories are sent.  Good cotton practices are also broadcast to farmers at weekly intervals all through the season through the CICR website.

## ANNEXURE-I

## Fund allocation of Central share for Cotton under NFSM from 2014-15 to 2016-17 Rs. in Lakhs

| S. No.   | State          |   2014-15 Alloc. |   2015-16 Alloc. |   2016-17 Alloc. |
|----------|----------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh |               24 |               31 |               25 |
| 2        | Assam          |               16 |               11 |               53 |
| 3        | Gujarat        |              155 |               77 |              158 |
| 4        | Haryana        |               40 |               37 |               41 |
| 5        | Karnataka      |               60 |               56 |               61 |
| 6        | Madhya Pradesh |               70 |               65 |               71 |
| 7        | Maharashtra    |              170 |              158 |              173 |
| 8        | Odisha         |               60 |               71 |               62 |
| 9        | Punjab         |               40 |               37 |               41 |
| 10       | Rajasthan      |               40 |               37 |               41 |
| 11       | Tamil Nadu     |               30 |               28 |               31 |
| 12       | Telangana      |               76 |               70 |               77 |
| 13       | Tripura        |               16 |               68 |               53 |
| 14       | Uttar Pradesh  |               29 |               27 |               30 |
| 15       | West Bengal.   |               24 |               22 |               25 |
| Total    | Total          |              850 |              795 |              942 |

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