COTTON CROP AND INDUSTRY Combination of agricultural crop and agro-based industry

COTTON SEEDS Produced in areas where cotton is cultivated. A by-product obtained after ginning of cotton. Ginning = separation of seeds and fibre from the raw material known as lint. Gins used to separate seeds from the fibre. Cotton is the most important fibre crop of India. India = second largest producer of cotton after China. Largest area under cultivation. Quality of cotton depends on length of fibres/ fineness/ strength/ colour & structure of fibre.

USES OF COTTON Cotton seed oil used extensively in manufacture of hydrogenated oil. The cake made out of it is fed to cattle. Used for pharmaceutical purposes. Used as an important source of edible oil largely used in the Vanaspati industry. Provides large scale employment. Khadi industry thrives on this crop.

THREE TYPES OF COTTON LONG STAPLE – LONGEST FIBRES – 24 TO 35 mm FINE AND SHINING FIBRE. PRODUCES HIGHEST QUALITY TEXTILES. USED IN MAKING SEWING THREADS. LARGELY GROWN IN PUNJAB AND HARYANA.

MEDIUM STAPLE COTTON CONSTITUTES BULK OF INDIA’S COTTON OUTPUT. LENGTH OF FIBRE = 20 TO 24 mm. MAINLY PRODUCED IN RAJASTHAN, PUNJAB, TAMIL NADU, MADHYA PRADESH, UTTAR PRADESH, KARNATAKA AND MAHARASHTRA.

SHORT STAPLE COTTON INFERIOR COTTON FIBRES WITH LENGTH LESS THAN 20 mm. USED IN MANUFACTURE OF INFERIOR CLOTH & FETCHES LESS PRICE. MAIN PRODUCERS = UTTAR PRADESH, ANDHRA PRADESH, RAJASTHAN.

METHODS OF CULTIVATION SOWING : DEPENDING ON GEOGRAPHICAL CONDITIONS. IN PUNJAB AND HARYANA IT IS SOWN IN APRIL-MAY AND IN TAMIL NADU IT IS SOWN AS BOTH KHARIF AS WELL AS RABI CROP. HARVESTING : IN SOUTHERN PARTS IT IS HARVESTED BETWEEN JANUARY & MARCH WHEREAS IN THE NORTHEN PARTS IT IS HARVESTED IN DECEMBER – JANUARY ; BEFORE THE WINTER FROST, BECAUSE IT IS HARMFUL FOR THE PLANT. PROCESSING : GINNING

COTTON TEXTILE INDUSTRY MOST OF THE MILLS ARE CONCENTRATED IN MAHARASHTRA, GUJARAT AND TAMIL NADU. MAHARASHTRA EXCELS ALL OTHER STATES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF COTTON TEXTILE INDUSTRY – PRODUCES ALMOST 50 PER CENT MILL CLOTH. # HUMID CLIMATE ESSENTIAL FOR THE INDUSTRY BECAUSE THREAD DOES NOT THEN BREAK SO FREQUENTLY.

REASONS FOR MUMBAI BEING CALLED THE COTTONOPOLIS OF INDIA #HUMID CLIMATE ESSENTIAL FOR THE INDUSTRY BECAUSE THREAD DOES NOT THEN BREAK SO FREQUENTLY. # MAJOR PORT CITY OF INDIA – HELPS IN THE IMPORT OF MACHINERY & RAW MATERIAL/ EXPORT OF FINISHED PRODUCT # CHEAP HYDROELECTRICTY READILY AVAILABLE NEARBY # BLACK COTTON SOIL IN HINTERLAND OF MAHARASHTRA # CHEAP LABOUR – HIGH DENSITY OF POLULATION. # READY MARKET IN INDIA & ABROAD. # GREAT COMMERCIAL & FINANCIAL CENTRE OF INDIA – CAPITAL EASILY AVAILABLE.

REASONS FOR AHMEDABAD IN GUJRAT – SECOND LARGEST COTTON TEXTILE PRODUCER # 73 OUT OF 118 MILLS OF GUJARAT LOCATED HERE. # LIES NEAR THE MAIN COTTON BELT OF INDIA – NO PROBLEM IN QUALITY & CHEAP RW COTTON. # HUMID CLIMATE SUITABLE FOR THE INDUSTRY. # CHEAP AND SKILLED LABOUR FROM NERBY ARAES. # GOOD NETWORK OF RAILWAYS AND ROADWAYS. # PORT FACILITY IN MUMBAI AND KANDLA.

PROBLEMS OF COTTON TEXTILE INDUSTRY # UNCERTAINITIES IN RAW MATERIAL AVAILABILITY – INADEQUATE [ ONLY 10 PERCENT OF WORLD COTTON OUTPUT IN SPITE OF LARGEST AREA UNDER COTTON]. # WANT OF ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF POWER. – FREQUENT POWER CUTS/ LOAD SHEDDING. # INADEQUATE COAL SUPPLIES # OBSOLETE MACHINERY – NEED FOR MODERNISATION # HIGH COMPETITION IN FOREIGN MARKET – LOW PRODUCTIVITY BUT HIGH COST OF PRODUCTION.