**Executive Summary**
The Union Cabinet has approved the "Cotton Productivity Mission" with a total outlay of Rs. 5,659.22 crore to revitalize India’s cotton sector and boost farmers' income. The mission aims to address low productivity and pest challenges, targeting an increase in cotton productivity to 755 kg per hectare and production to 498 lakh bales by 2031. Additionally, an agreement with SCO member countries was approved to enhance food security and safe trade through strengthened plant quarantine and phytosanitary cooperation.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Financial Allocation and Implementation**
* **Total Provision:** Rs. 5,659.22 crore allocated for comprehensive sectoral interventions.
* **DARE Funding:** Rs. 555.05 crore assigned to the Department of Agricultural Research & Education for research-driven initiatives.
* **DA&FW Funding:** Rs. 3,804.17 crore allocated to the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare for large-scale extension services.
* **Initial Scope:** The mission will cover 24 lakh hectares across 140 districts in 14 cotton-producing states.
**Research and Development Focus**
* **New Varieties:** Development of 24 high-yielding, climate-resilient cotton varieties and hybrids.
* **Technical Advancement:** Focus on genome editing, transgenic technologies, and tilling to improve ginning percentages and fiber quality.
* **Pest and Stress Management:** Emphasis on resistance to pink bollworm and tolerance to biotic stress.
* **Specialty Cotton:** Promotion of region-specific extra-long staple, coloured, and indigenous cotton varieties.
**Field-Level Extension and Technology**
* **Planting Systems:** Promotion of high-density and narrow-spacing planting systems through field demonstrations.
* **Management Practices:** Implementation of integrated crop management practices and scientific advisory services.
* **Stakeholder Reach:** Direct delivery of improved practices to approximately 32 lakh farmers through State Governments and ICAR.
**International Cooperation (SCO Agreement)**
* **Safe Trade:** Cooperation with SCO member countries to facilitate safe agricultural trade and minimize pest outbreak risks.
* **Information Sharing:** Framework for sharing technical expertise, regulatory information, and experiences regarding pest-free areas.
* **Capacity Building:** Organization of joint training workshops, field exercises, and awareness campaigns.
**Impact Analysis**
**Cotton Farmers**
**Impact**
Farmers will benefit from increased income, access to modern research, and reduced pest-related risks. They will have access to 24 new climate-resilient and high-yielding seed varieties.
**Action Required**
Farmers need to adopt new technologies, participate in field demonstrations, and implement high-density planting and integrated crop management practices.
**Textile Industry**
**Impact**
The industry will gain a stable and sustainable supply of quality raw materials, strengthening the value chain from "Farm to Foreign" under the 5F vision.
**Action Required**
The industry should prepare to integrate the increased supply and improved quality of cotton (including extra-long staple varieties) into their production lines.
**State Governments and ICAR**
**Impact**
These bodies are designated as the primary implementation agencies responsible for ensuring technology and advisory services reach the field.
**Action Required**
They must coordinate the large-scale extension of crop production technologies and ensure scientific advisory services are accessible to the 140 targeted districts.
**SCO Member Countries**
**Impact**
Member nations will benefit from a strengthened agricultural security framework and enhanced regional trade confidence.
**Action Required**
Participate in information exchange, collaborate on regulatory systems, and engage in joint capacity-building initiatives.
Key Entities Referenced
Cotton Productivity Mission: A government-approved initiative with a budget of Rs. 5,659.22 Crore aimed at reviving the cotton sector, boosting production quality, and increasing farmers' income.
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO): An international organization whose member countries are involved in an agreement to facilitate safe agricultural trade, plant quarantine, and phytosanitary cooperation.
5F Vision: A strategic policy framework (Farm, Fibre, Factory, Fashion, and Foreign) designed to build a strong value chain link from farmers to the textile industry.
Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW): The primary implementing agency for the mission's large-scale extension of crop production technologies, allocated a budget of Rs. 3,804.17 crore.
Department of Agricultural Research & Education (DARE): The department responsible for research-driven interventions and developing high-yielding, climate-resilient cotton varieties under the mission.
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
Government Approves Rs. 5,659.22 Crore Cotton
Productivity Mission, Historic Step Towards
Reviving Cotton Sector: Shri Shivraj Singh
Chouhan
Cotton Productivity Mission to Boost Farmers’ Income,
Production and Quality: Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh
Chouhan
Research, Technology and Extension Services to Drive New
Transformation in Cotton Farming: Shri Shivraj Singh
Chouhan
5F Vision to Gain Strength, Strong Growth Link to Be Built
from Farmers to Textile Industry: Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan
SCO Cooperation to Strengthen Food Security, Safe Trade
and Agricultural Protection Mechanisms: Union Minister Shri
Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Posted On: 05 MAY 2026 8:44PM by PIB Delhi
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, today approved the Cotton
Productivity Mission. Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, Shri
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, said that the approval of the mission, along with the agreement on safe trade of
agricultural products, plant quarantine and phytosanitary cooperation with SCO member countries, marks
an extremely significant decision for farmers, the agricultural economy and the nation’s food security.
Shri Chouhan said the initiative will connect cotton farmers with modern research, advanced technologies
and improved production systems, while also strengthening safe agricultural trade, reducing pest-related
risks and enhancing international cooperation.
The Union Agriculture Minister stated that the approval of the Cotton Productivity Mission by the Union
Cabinet under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is a highly encouraging, visionary and
transformative decision for the country’s cotton farmers. He noted that India accounts for more than 21
percent of global cotton production and that cotton cultivation is spread across more than 11.447 million
hectares, making the sector crucial for the livelihoods of millions of farmers as well as for the country’s
textile industry.Shri Chouhan said the cotton sector has long faced serious challenges, including low productivity, rain-fed
cultivation, resistance of pink bollworm, climate risks, soil degradation, weak crop management practices,
limited availability of quality inputs and regional disparities. He said the decline in production and the
widening gap between consumption and supply made it clear that comprehensive, organised and scientific
intervention was urgently needed in the cotton sector.
He added that the Cotton Productivity Mission has been designed to address these challenges by
increasing farmers’ income, ensuring a steady supply of quality cotton and revitalising India’s traditional
textile sector.
Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the mission aligns with the integrated 5F vision of the textile sector:
Farm, Fibre, Factory, Fashion and Foreign, and will provide the country with a strong and sustainable
value chain from agriculture to industry.
He informed that a total provision of Rs. 5,659.22 crore has been made for the mission. The first major
component focuses on enhancing cotton productivity and production through strategic interventions,
including research and extension activities. This component will be implemented by the Department of
Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) and the Department of Agricultural Research & Education
(DARE) under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
Shri Chouhan said that under DARE, Rs. 555.05 crore will be spent on research-driven interventions
aimed at improving cotton productivity and production. Under this initiative, 24 new high-yielding and
climate-resilient cotton varieties and hybrids will be developed, with special emphasis on pest resistance,
higher ginning percentage, better yield, superior fibre quality, tolerance to biotic stress, transgenic
technologies, tilling, genome editing and region-specific extra-long staple, coloured and indigenous cotton
varieties.
The Union Agriculture Minister further said that under DA&FW, Rs. 3,804.17 crore will be utilised for the
large-scale extension of the latest crop production technologies. This will include demonstration-based
promotion of high-density planting systems, narrow-spacing planting systems, extra-long staple varieties
and integrated crop management practices at the field level.
He stated that in the initial phase, the mission will cover nearly 24 lakh hectares across 140 districts in 14
cotton-producing states and is expected to benefit around 32 lakh farmers. Implementation through state
governments and ICAR will ensure that new technologies, improved practices and scientific advisory
services directly reach farmers.
Shri Chouhan said the mission aims to increase the current cotton productivity level from around 440
kilograms of lint per hectare to 755 kilograms of lint per hectare by 2031. Similarly, cotton production is
targeted to rise from the current 297 lakh bales to 498 lakh bales by 2031. He said these targets will not
only take cotton production to new heights but will also ensure stable availability of quality raw material
for the country’s textile industry.
Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan also said that the approval of the agreement with SCO member countries by
the Union Cabinet is another highly important step for the agriculture sector. The agreement aims to
facilitate safe trade in agricultural products among member countries to ensure food security and
strengthen plant quarantine and phytosanitary measures to minimise the risk of pest outbreaks in
agricultural trade.
He said that under this cooperation framework, member countries will work together to strengthen plant
quarantine systems, share information and experiences, undertake capacity-building initiatives, promote
technical cooperation and research, collaborate on regulatory systems, exchange information related to
pest-free areas and organise joint programmes, training workshops, conferences, awareness campaigns and
field exercises.He added that this cooperation will strengthen the agricultural security framework, enhance trade
confidence and provide a new dimension to long-term regional cooperation.
Shri Chouhan said that while the Cotton Productivity Mission will empower farmers with higher
production, better quality and increased income, SCO cooperation will make agricultural trade safer, more
organised and more scientific. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi,
every decision of the Central Government is aimed at strengthening farmer welfare, agricultural
advancement, food security and the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat.
****
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