Cotton Development Projects in lower rajasthan (2008-09 to 2016-2017)

  • The confederation of india Textile Industry’s “Cotton Development & Research Association (CITI CDRA)” with the blessing of respected Smt. Vasundhara ji Raje, the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Rajasthan Launched Cotton Collaborative Project in 2008 to enhance cotton growing areas of Lower Rajasthan.
  • The project was implemented in Public Private partnership (PPP) mode involving the CITI CDRA, Agriculture Department of State Govt. Of Rajasthan, Bayer Crop Science, Mumbai and Rajasthan Textile Mills Association (RTMA) in Banswara, Rajsamand, Ajmer, Jodhpur, Nagaur and Pali districts for past nine years.
  • Systematic and continuous training to project farmers enabled them to adapt new production and plant protection technologies on a large scale.
  • The officers of the state agriculture Department, Scientists form Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK), Agriculture Research Stations (ARS), at Banswara and Ajmer, Scientists from Bayer Crop Science and the project coordinators were invariably involved in training the project farmers.
  • For transferring technical knowhow to project farmers events like awareness camps, Kisan Melas, Kisan Goshtis, Farmers Field Days, Farmers Field Schools (FFS) were conducted at regular intervals with the assistance of scientists from various institutions and officers from Agriculture Department.
  • The CITI CDRA also implemented the Govt. of India’s programme on Front Line Demonstration on production and Integrated Pest Management in 756 villages from these districts directly benefitting  3346 farmers by way of input subsidy amounting to about Rs. 60 lakhs (1 lakh = 100000).
  • In the collaborative project 76617 farmers having an area of 122092 hectares under cotton cultivation from 1407 villages from these districts were involved.
  • The project boosted cotton production in Rajasthan to 18 lakh bales (1.8 million) in 2016 to 9 lakh bales (0.9 million) in 2007.
  • Rajasthan cotton yield at 415 kgs. of lint per hectare in 2007-08 reached 693 Kgs. of lint per hectare during 2016-17.
  • Changes cotton scene led to setting up 45 new ginning & pressing factories in the project areas.
  • With the increase in production, 80% of the cotton requirements of local textile industry were met from local markets.