Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh has hinted that a new type of highly superior Bt cotton is expected to be approved for commercial cultivation shortly, which will benefit the Indian textile industry more broadly. Additionally, he stated that initiatives are on to make significant use of Self-Help Group (SHG) members in order to address the manpower shortage in this industry.
“Trial of HT (Herbicide Tolerance) Bt (also referred as BG III) cotton is going on. Upon completion of assessments by ICAR (Indian Council of Agriculture Research) and necessary approval is obtained, then its commercial cultivation can be permitted,” Singh said.
Such a variety could aid the textile industry and lower farmers’ cost of production by encouraging the sowing of cotton across a larger region.
Singh stated that increased and improved cotton production would be essential to the expansion of the Indian textile and clothing sector. The current valuation is approximately US $ 168 billion, and a 10 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is projected to bring it to US $ 350 billion by 2030.
