‘Cotton quality suffers due to lack of infrastructure’

Our Commodities Bureau in Coimbatore

Poor storage facilities in market yards, lack of proper infrastructure at the ginning factories and usage of soiled gunny bags make the Indian cotton the most contaminated, according to a study.

The study, conducted jointly by the South India Cotton Association (Sica) and the Southern India Mills’ Association (Sima), on eight market committees in Tamil Nadu throws more light on the origins of contamination and laxity on the part of authorities in containing the menace. The study attains significance in the light of ITMF survey report placing most Indian cotton descriptions in the list of most contaminated cottons in the world.

‘‘The conditions in the cotton market yards play a crucial role in improvement in quality of cotton, better price to the farmers and better cotton to the mills. The transportation of cotton to the market yards in soiled jute borahs or used fertiliser bags add to the contamination levels. The storage conditions in the ginning mills also leave much to be desired,’’ the Sica-Sima study points out.

The study has recommended more farmer-friendly rules and regulations by bringing in auction systems or closed tender system, providing insurance scheme to the commodity while in the hands of the farmers, ensuring spot payment and above all revamping the administrative setup of the market committees. The study has called for election in the committees instead of Government nomination.

According to the study, allocation of a specific amount from the accumulated Market Committee Fund, estimated to be around Rs 70 crore, should be made for improving infrastructure facilities for cotton trading in the market yards. It has proposed two markets, Madurai and Tiruchi or Thanjavur for funding by the Technology Mission for Cotton for the current financial year. Other market yards should be improved in a phased manner, the study suggested.