Chennai: Cotton continues to enjoy a pre-eminent and the most favoured fibre status for the textile industry globally as well as in India.
It is an immensely important crop for the sustainable livelihood of the Indian cotton farming community. Presently, 50 to 60 million people depend on cotton cultivation, marketing, processing and exports for their livelihood across India.
In the last few years, the cultivation of cotton has been steadily declining globally and the world cotton farming experienced dramatic developments in 2020-21 due to an unprecedented pressure caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to C K Patel, AGM – agronomy and marketing, Netafim India.
He says adaptation of scientific agriculture practices will drive global demand towards Indian cotton farmer.
“Persistent adoption of unsustainable agricultural practices for the largely water-intensive crop, extensive use of fertilisers and pesticides as well as genetic modification has posed a significant challenge that needs immediate attention,” he says.